How does the scheme work?
The EcoCampus scheme is designed to help institutions implement a formalised Environmental Management System and achieve certification to ISO14001. The scheme is divided into 4 phases with award certificates - Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. At every phase you will receive online/telephone support, access to training workshops, written resources and an external audit and report. In addition, at the Platinum and Continuation Phases EcoCampus fees are inclusive of ISO14001 audits, undertaken by a UKAS accredited certification body.
Setting up your institution on our system
On joining the scheme, we will ask you to register an account(s) on the Loreus Document Control System and the EcoCampus Resource Centre.
The EMS Documentation System is pre-populated with all the template system procedures required for the EMS. Each institution will have access to their own system which can be used to store, manage and control all their EMS documentation. The system operates similarly to SharePoint and enables you to track who has edited documents and automatically stores previous versions.
The EcoCampus Online Resource Centre is where we keep all our example documentation, methodologies, online training, webinar recordings and presentations. We have developed example resources for all clauses of the EMS including aspects registers, roles and responsibility registers, internal audit and evaluation of compliance checklists to name a few. Our resources have been developed by our team of experts, for the HE/FE sector in order to simplify the process of implementing an EMS.
Initial online meetings
To get you started we are happy to conduct an online meeting(s) with you and your colleagues to help you familiarise yourself with the systems and introduce you to the EcoCampus criteria. We use ‘Skype for Business’ however can conduct phone meetings or conference calls if preferred.
Introductory site visit
We aim to conduct an introductory site visit within the first 2 months of a new participant joining the scheme. During the visit we will go through the EcoCampus criteria, available resources and documentation in detail. The purpose of the visit is to help you to understand the requirements of the EcoCampus Bronze phase clauses and inform you of the actions required to meet these. It is beneficial to have a tour of your main site in order to better understand the environmental risks associated with your institution’s activities. We will work with you to put together an action plan for implementing the Bronze phase of the EMS. We are also happy to:
- Present to Senior Management about the EcoCampus Scheme and EMS;
- Meet with key staff;
- Conduct a gap analysis of your existing EMS documentation;
- Review key areas of compliance such as waste and F-Gas.
Workshops
Workshops for all phases of the scheme are held throughout the year and provide a good opportunity for participants to network with like-minded people from other institutions. Anyone from the institution can attend and there are no additional costs. Lunch is provided too! The workshops typically run from 10am to 4pm and comprise of a combination taught sessions, themed discussions and group exercises to help participants develop their EMS.
Online / telephone support
The EcoCampus Team are available to support our participants through the process of implementing an EMS. We aim to provide institutions with the knowledge, know-how and resources to implement and maintain an EMS. We are happy to conduct online meetings or simply discuss the EMS over the phone. We can help our participants by:
- Conducting online training sessions on the requirements of the EMS clauses;
- Reviewing procedures and documentation;
- Providing advice on EMS related queries;
- Providing advice and support relating to environmental legislation;
- Reviewing progress towards implementing the EMS.
Timescales
On average institutions take between 2 – 4 years to implement the EMS and achieve certification to ISO14001. However, timescales vary from institution to institution and depend on the level of commitment, time and resource allocated to the EMS.
Consultancy
We can provide onsite consultancy to develop and implement the EMS however there is an additional charge for this service. If you are interested in our onsite consultancy services, please contact us to request a quote.