Why introduce an environmental management system?
Environmental compliance and campus “greening” activities have become important factors in the decision-making process of U/Cs. More aggressive enforcement of environmental laws and regulations is resulting in new standards for universities and colleges of all sizes. Environmental issues at U/C are complex and interconnected, however. The traditional way of addressing environmental issues in a reactive, ad-hoc, end-of-pipe manner is highly inefficient. Good environmental performance is not just a legal or moral obligation. It also makes good business sense. Reducing pollution means increasing efficiency and wasting fewer resources. Improved health and safety conditions result in a safer campus and a more productive workforce. An EMS can be an effective tool for communicating the value of an environmental program to a wide variety of audiences and servicing the needs of these diverse audiences in a manner that most effectively supports a U/C s educational and research missions. Because
