Submitted by Peter Lumb on Wed, 2016-04-27 09:24
On 14 April, the University received a Silver ‘EcoCampus’ certificate, marking a significant step on its journey towards internationally recognised performance in managing its environmental impacts.
Many people at the University will have heard of the University’s efforts to engage staff and improve sustainability within buildings e.g. in cutting energy use and reducing waste, but perhaps far fewer know that the University is also subject to a range of environmental legislation requirements that it must comply with, from preventing hazardous materials and waste from escaping from its premises, to ensuring that air conditioning systems do not leak harmful gases.
An ‘Environmental Management System’ (EMS) aims to ensure that all these issues are dealt with correctly and efficiently, and one is now being developed by the University's Environment & Energy Section, supported by staff all across the estate, from building and facilities managers to chemical safety officers and planners, all of whom have some influence on the University’s environmental performance.
The audit, carried out across a full day, aimed to ensure that the University is compliant with all environmental legislation and that environmental issues are managed effectively. This was done by checking that relevant procedures are in place, permits are valid and paperwork is up-to-date. The visit also involved visual inspections of several sites on the University estate to check for physical issues, as well as interviews with a range of staff to check their awareness and understanding of legislation and procedures.
Having passed the audit, the Environment & Energy Section will now be working hard to further improve the University’s performance. They are aiming for ‘Gold’ EcoCampus status next and then ‘Platinum’, at which point the University will have met the equivalent of the ISO:14001 standard (the internationally accepted standard for an environmental management system).
Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about the University’s EMS or would like to know more about how the University manages its environmental impacts.