Departmental Audits
Although it is possible for central departments to implement environmental initiatives across the whole University it is often much more effective for actions to be planned at a local or departmental level. This is because the department will have a much better understanding of what waste is produced, what lights could be turned off, how travel could be reduced etc. etc.
Therefore it is very important that departments take on the responsibility to audit their own environmental performance and produce a realistic action plan that will improve their sustainability. This process could be as simple as ensuring that staff turn off lights when not in use and have the facilities to recycle paper or it could be a much more in-depth process which looks at lift sharing, document production, waste minimisation or biodiversity issues.
Many departments have used their Environmental Champion to begin the process of auditing but it is important that the whole department have a chance to comment on the proposals so it is recommended that any plans are discussed (e.g. at a team meeting).
To help you get started on an environmental audit and an action plan you can download some examples below: