Environmental Policy

This policy document has been developed through ongoing consultation with the various University services, including the Student Guild.

Preamble

Although certain UWA departments may have formal or informal policies pertinent to their particular requirements, there is a need for a formal, comprehensive policy considering all elements of environmental management within the University.

As environmental protection continues to gain more community attention due to Local and State Government initiatives, media reports and attractive cost savings, Facilities Management believes a joint and invigorated approach towards UWA's environmental protection should be adopted.

This General Environment Policy outlines objectives to be achieved and presents several broad guidelines. Specific policies and strategies related to each area of the environmental management system is best documented by the staff responsible for those areas.

Policy

Before planning any environmental strategy, an environmental policy document is necessary to help guide efforts for improvement. This general policy attempts to cover all environmental concerns, as defined in the West Australian Environmental Protection Act 1986. For example: environmental protection, waste management, recycling, energy conservation, heritage protection and aestheticism. ISO 14000 standards and policies developed by other Universities have been used as guiding tools for policy development. UWA, as a tertiary institution, should highlight the importance of student involvement in its initiatives.

General Aims

1. To promote through all the University's activities, a sound awareness of, and favourable attitudes and behaviours towards the environment among all staff, students, and visitors.
2. Reduce the adverse impacts of the University's activities on the local, national and global environments.
    

The Policy

• The University of Western Australia recognises its environmental obligations, both locally and globally, to present and future generations.
• The University of Western Australia, as a progressive tertiary institution, accepts its responsibility for environmental protection.
• The University of Western Australia will operate in a manner which protects the environment, especially the health of staff, students and visitors.
• The University of Western Australia will be aware of and monitor its environmental legislative obligations and strive for best practicable methods.
• The University of Western Australia will endeavour to ensure that campus visitors and users are made aware of the University's environmental values and the types of behaviour which might be detrimental to those values.
• The environmental policy will establish a framework for setting and reviewing environmental goals.
   

Environmental Principles

To support UWA's Environmental Policy, the following principles have been developed to provide additional direction on specific issues.

The University of Western Australia will employ the best practicable methods to:

• Conserve energy (produced by non-renewable resources, and by methods which pollute the environment).
• Conserve water resources and minimise wastewater disposal.
• Minimise and, where possible, eliminate the use of harmful substances.
• Ensure the correct and safe disposal of all substances.
• Minimise waste generation through reduction, reuse and recycling.
• Minimise pollution - noise, visual, electromagnetic radiation, odour.
• Address environmental concerns in all planning and landscaping decisions.
• Encourage procurement procedures that adhere to the principles of the environmental policy.
• Encourage teaching and research activities designed to facilitate and implement specific components of this policy.
• Regularly audit its Environmental Management System.
   

Note: To avoid repetition of information already contained in various UWA policies, the Environmental policy has remained fairly broad. More detailed policies, strategies and implementation may be obtained from the sections concerned, or via the UWA Facilities Management Environment pages.