EcoCampus
The University recognises that our activities have a significant impact on the environment and that, as an educational institution, we have a pivotal role to play in encouraging sustainable development in the wider community.
To help us reduce our environmental impact, we are in the process of implementing an Environmental Management System (EMS) called EcoCampus.
Progress to date:
Newcastle University achieved the Bronze award in September 2009,silver in October 2010 and, after passing a recent audit, was awarded Gold in August 2011. We will formally receive our Gold award in the next few weeks.
Many of the elements of the EMS required for the Platinum award including monitoring and measuring of significant aspects, evaluation of compliance with legislation and carrying out an internal EMS audit are currently underway. We hope to achieve the Platinum Award by the summer of 2012.
How EcoCampus works
EcoCampus is an EMS award scheme specifically for the further and higher education sectors. Environmental management systems are the most logical and effective way of operating in a sustainable manner.
The EcoCampus programme consists of four phases: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. By working through these phases the University will:
- Review its current environmental performance and plan how it can be improved
- Develop procedures to implement the plan
- Check actual progress to see if it is functioning effectively against the plan
- Ensure any recommendations for improvement are implemented
Once all phases have been completed and a fully functioning EMS is in place, the process is repeated so that the University continually improves its environmental performance.