EcoCampus: an Environmental Management System
EcoCampus helps Higher and Further education institutions to develop and implement and environmental management system (EMS) in four key phases. Implementing and operating an EMS brings major benefits to our organisation and will improve our environmental performance by a process of continual improvement.
Gaining the EcoCampus award will over a period of three years bring the University full accreditation for operating an Environmental Management System complying with the international ISO14001 standard. In doing so the University will have by then adopted policies and procedures which will ensure that it is controlling and minimising the environmental impacts which are a consequence of its activities.
Designed specifically for Higher Education, the University together with 16 other institutions form the second cohort applying for this award, which builds over the three year period through Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum stages. Based on a continuous improvement cycle the University will have become a self auditing organisation once it is awarded the Platinum stage.
The scope of EcoCampus provides a backbone for embedding much of the wider sustainability agenda within the University’s operations, as well as an umbrella framework for the more immediate requirements. There are eleven impact categories within EcoCampus which cover:
- Emissions and Discharge
- Health Welfare and Safety
- Energy and Water
- Sustainability in the Curriculum
- Waste Management
- Community Involvement
- Construction and Refurbishment
- Policy
- Sustainable Procurement
- Environmental Management Systems
- Transport
Whilst a cross functional approach will be necessary to develop and adopt policy covering these issues it is clear that the lead responsibility for the first four categories sits with the Facilities Services function. The remainder have an impact across the whole University which is why it is important that they are covered within the brief of the Sustainability Development Manager. The Sustainability in the Curriculum category is not within the scope of ISO14001 but is an important positive aspect of the University’s adopted sustainability policy and is being lead through the Education for Sustainable Development Committee (ESD).
The EcoCampus initiative includes training workshops, software tools and support throughout the phases. The University has completed the Bronze (Planning) phase and is moving forward with the Silver (Integrating) phase during 2010/11.
EcoCampus Implementation team, led by the Sustainability Development Manager ensures the progress is maintained and embedded with the University operation.
Membership and Terms of reference for this group are held within the Environmental and Sustainability Management Structure.