Review and audit the University of Glamorgans Environmental Management Systems (Essay Sample)

Review and audit the University of Glamorgan's Environmental Management Systems
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Introduction
Overview
All the organisations around the world are challenged to meet and demonstrate increasingly sound environmental performance by carefully controlling and regulating the impact of the services offered, activities practised, or products offered on the environment, making considerations to their environmental policy and objectives. This has been due to an increased stringent legislation, the pursuit for the economic policies development, and measures meant to foster environmental protection. Most importantly, there has been a raising concern from concerned parties about environmental issues, and specifically sustainable development (Tinsley, 2001, pp. 23-27).
Internationally accepted standards that cover environmental management are intended to offer organisations with the detailed components in the effective Environmental Management System implementation, which can easily be integrated with various organizational management requirements. The international Standard specifies requirements for an environmental management system, thus enabling an easy formulation of the policy and objectives of an organisation; making careful considerations of the legislature requirements and the environmental impacts of the organisational activities (Haider, 2011; Tinsley, 2001, pp. 23-27).
The University of Glamorgan started a programme of improvement on the environmental performance in 1993 following a finding that it was not in compliant with the law. On the 27th march, 2002, the university gained the international environmental management award which had a full backing of the then vice chancellor (University of Glamorgan, 2012a).
University of Glamorgan created a formal Environmental Management System (EMS) making it the first university in the UK to be awarded ISO14001 certification; after successfully implementing the International Environmental Management Standard BS EN ISO14001:2004 (University of Glamorgan, July 2011).
This report presents a review and audit of Environmental management system of the University of the Glamorgan. Various data collection techniques are used: Sustainability handbook of the University, international Environmental Management Standard-ISO 14001, EMS of other universities and regulatory initiatives, and the Technical manual for BRREAM for non-domestic building. Following a discussion and analysis of the findings of the report, recommendations are offered to the University of Glamorgan.
Aims & Objectives
According to the ISO14001-2004, environmental management system audit is defined as, " a systematic and documented verification process of objectively and evaluating evidence to determine whether an organisation's environmental management system conforms to the environmental management system audit criteria set by the organisation, and for communication of the results of this process to management”(ISO14001-2004, 2004, p.4).
After the setting and the implementation of the Environmental management and operational procedures by the University of Glamorgan, it is time to test and see how efficiently they worked. An audit procedure is meant to test the environmental management system and an established review used to determine any further changes or/and developments to the system. Specifically, the auditing of the environmental management system (EMS) will reveal whether: (1) the university activities conform to the EMS requirements; (2) there is university staff and students' procedural awareness, familiarity and compliance; (3) there is accurate determination by the top university management of the EMS adequacy; and (4), there is operational relevance of the university environmental operating and management procedures (EMPs and EMPs).
Data collection procedure and findings
Literature on EMS best practices
The university should ensure that it has established and maintained documented environmental objectives and targets, at every functional level within the organisation. This should be in line with the environmental policy, including the pollution prevention commitment.
The roles, responsibilities and relevant authorities should be documented and communicated clearly in order to facilitate effective environmental management. The university top management should appoint specific representatives, whom shall define roles, responsibilities and authority for: reporting to the top management on the environmental management system performance, "and ensuring that the requirements for the environmental management system are established, implemented and maintained according to ISO14001:2004" (ISO14001:2004, 2004, p.8). An organisation ought to establish and maintain one or more, programme(s) for achieving its targets and objectives (ISO14001:2004, 2004, pp.8-12).
Review of University of Glamorgan's Sustainability Hand Book
The university aims at minimising the energy consumption where practical, offer automatic monitoring and targeting of all university utilities, saves energy expenses and minimise the emissions from the carbon dioxide. The university takes a common sense approach to the energy wasting.
The university has solar powered lamp post, solar powered mobile charger, clockwork torches, and water turbines which are renewable energy sources. The university also holds a Baglan bay hydrogen research facility and operates hydrogen powered shuttle-busses.
The energy monitoring and targeting are implemented through the electricity, water and gas meters, which are around one hundred and fifty in the university.
In waste management; all general waste is compacted after it is collected by the university cleaners. The university puts strict guidelines to ensure waste enters the correct disposal route. The university is subject to fine and prosecution by the environmental agency for incorrect disposal.
EMS audit using ISO14001
The university has set a procedure to recognize the environmental aspects of the activities around the university, procedures implemented and well maintained. The sustainability policy, which is an environmental policy extending to sustainability roles, considers sufficient details in; waste handling and storage, recycling, disposal of hazardous waste, disposal of non-Hazardous (controlled) waste, Drains and the Nat-y-F forest, emission to air, handling pollution accidents, waste water effluent, planning site developments and major works, and several other environmental issues on the site such as housekeeping, piping, and storage.
Transportation, supplier evaluation, products and services related impacts have not been considered as indirect aspects of the environment. However, all significant aspects have been identified and are controlled by targets, objectives, procedures, and programmes.
Review of other universities EMS and Regulatory initiatives
The University of Gloucestershire has developed an environmental management system that is independently verified via ISO14001. The university has an EMS working group that develops and maintains the environmental initiatives to bring the EMS system up and running. Although the sustainability management system is not available for the public, the university has ensured that the system is accessible to students and all the staff. The environmental management strategies of the university are; utilities strategy, waste management strategy, Transport strategy and ICT plan. All these strategies are aligned with the sustainability strategies of the university aimed at reducing the environmental impact of their associated activities. The Leeds metropolitan University, which was the second university after Glamorgan, to be gain the ISO14001 certification also employs the EMS deployed by Glamorgan. It has an environmental policy document that is regularly updated with full time environmental management personnel. Oxford Brookes University has seen improved energy conservation while Sheffield Hallam University has seen improved water efficiency, through the deployment of the EMS system.
The Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment offers the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) that was established by the European Regulation. The department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) aims at establishing a single source of information on EMS which would offer guidance and elaboration on the system, putting together information on standards and schemes. The University of Glamorgan satisfies the standards offered by the EMAS. The Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges offers Environmental Management System for the Universities, including the Glamorgan University (Simkins, G., 2004).
Review using the BREEAM for non-domestic building- Technical Manual
BREEAM measures have been introduced, coupled with airtight buildings energy efficient heating and sustainable materials. The university has designed low carbon buildings which have met the highest environmental standards required, specifically excellent BREEAM rating. The buildings have been designed to allow for fabric thermal enhancements and renewable energy costs.
Findings:
* Grey water harvesting introduced at Snowdon to minimize the amount of portable water used to flash toilets;
* Photovoltaic were introduced at Pen-y-Fan to offer enough energy to reduce electric consumption from the national grid and, therefore, reducing university bills;
* Green roofs were introduced in the Hub together with the living wall. Green roofs, which are also referred to as living roofs, offer various roles in the building structure, such as; reducing flooding, absorbing rain water, offering habitat for wildlife, providing insulation, and enabling lowering of urban air temperatures.
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