In line with the broader positive public administration (PPA) framework, this chapter conceptualizes positivity as the adoption and implementation of an approach to buying goods and services that moves away from efficiency as a central goal and seeks to advance social and environmental sustainability. The use of environmental criteria in government purchasing decisions is referred to as green public procurement (GPP). The chapter delves into the rationale behind the shift from brown to green procurement in U.S. local government, despite the higher costs of green products and the absence of compulsory regulations. It underscores the role of government purchasing in creating a market demand for sustainable products and setting an example for the private sector and citizens alike. Buying green is a future-oriented policy that promotes intergenerational equity by ensuring that those coming after us will also have access to common-pool resources, such as clean air and wilderness.
