Introduction to Environmental Management
Environmental Management is the process of controlling any potential negative impact on the external environment from the college’s activities. It also means increasing those initiatives which may have a positive effect.
The Bloomsbury Colleges, including SOAS, have committed to improving their environmental performance, and plan to implement a formal Environmental Management System (EMS) to ensure that this desired performance improvement happens.
This system will look at the way the college operates and assess the college’s environmental performance based on current practices. Environmental legislation and external targets are becoming increasingly stringent and it is essential that the college actively seeks to provide a more sustainable service.
The EMS will seek to improve this performance, developing initiatives to reduce energy use and waste, increase reuse and recycling, minimise the impact of travel and encourage sustainable procurement.
An EMS follows a Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle. The diagram shows the cycle that the EMS will follow:
The first step for the college is developing an environmental policy, which SOAS have already established.
The Bloomsbury Colleges have set up a shared resource where information and best practice can be shared: http://www.bloomsbury.ac.uk/GreenThing this will be built upon as the EMS project progresses.
Please contact Robert Courtney (Communications & Coordination) in Estates & Facilities rc45@soas.ac.uk / 020 7898 4804 for further information.
