Environmental Management
As a large organisation 51Âþ» has a variety of environmental impacts which need to be managed. These impacts are managed through the university’s environmental management system (EMS) which covers all of the 51Âþ» campus.
An EMS is a structured framework for an organisation to manage its significant environmental impacts. This type of systematic approach can manage resource use, achieve associated financial savings through efficiency measures and to ensure that the organisation is not breaching current or developing environmental legislation.
What are 51Âþ»s environmental impacts?
As with any large organisation 51Âþ» uses large amounts of energy and water, it purchases large amounts of equipment and paper and as a large employer there are transport related issues as well. These activities have their own environmental impacts including contributing to climate change, using natural resources and emissions to air.
How are these managed?
51Âþ» has been managing these impacts for a number of years through its energy management team, Travel Plan and sustainable procurement activities. Details of these activities and our current performance can be found on our sustainability strategy page
These management activities are now co-ordinated through an EMS which ensures that the university addresses its significant environmental impacts whilst at the same time meeting the requirements of environmental legislation. The process of implementing the EMS has involved identifying the activities, products and services which have a significant impact upon the environmental and putting measures in place to manage those impacts. The implementation process also identified the relevant environmental legislation affecting the university and ensured that we meet these requirements.
Our EMS is externally certified on an annual basis to ensure that it continues to meet the Phases 1 - 4 of the British Standard for Environmental Management Systems (BS8555)
The EMS provides a structure by which objectives and targets can be set for our key environmental areas. Details of these targets can be found below and by visiting our other webpages on waste and recycling, carbon management, travel and biodiversity.