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Policy Number:
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7.50.2
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Policy Name:
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Environmental Management Policy
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Contact Officer:
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Environmental Engineer, Property and Facilities Division
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Date Approved by Senate:
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31/5/2007
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Date of Next Review:
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31/5/2010
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Related Policies:
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1. Overview
The University of Queensland’s Environmental Management Policy demonstrates a commitment to conducting its activities in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1994 and associated legislation.
The policy applies to staff, students and visitors to the University as well as to activities conducted on University premises or under the auspices of the University.
All members of the University community share the responsibility for protecting the environment. The Environmental Protection Act 1994 incorporates the general environmental duty around which the policy is developed. Section 319 defines this duty as ‘A person must not carry out any activity that causes, or is likely to cause, environmental harm unless the person takes all reasonable and practicable measures to prevent or minimise the harm’.
2. The Policy
The University of Queensland acknowledges the importance of protecting environmental values as part of a global community. Through its planning and practice, the University is committed to ensuring the protection of the environment by keeping environmental impacts to a minimum in a sustainable, financially rewarding and technically feasible manner.
In addressing this statement, the University of Queensland will:
- Consider sustainability issues in the decision-making process of planning and managing the University’s operations and activities, including capital works projects.
- Facilitate and enhance the decision-making process by seeking opinions, feedback and participation from the University’s stakeholders on environmental management issues on University campuses and sites.
- Promote and encourage environmental awareness and training to ensure individuals throughout the University are aware of their environmental responsibilities.
- Strive for continuous improvement of environmental performance by identifying and addressing environmental risk. Make available procedures for minimising risks that comply with local, state and federal environmental legislation with the goal of attaining best environmental practice.
- Make available resources to implement and meet the requirements of the environmental policy.
- Offer, encourage and develop courses, programs and research projects of environmental and sustainable content. Promote external awareness by supporting projects that seek solutions to environmental problems in order to improve the sustainability of the global environment.