Environmental Management Plan template for Victorian public health services
This template is a guide to creating an Environmental Management Plan for your organisation. It is based on best practice environmental management and will equip your agency with a comprehensive plan covering a broad range of environmental issues.
The template can be adapted to suit your organisation as appropriate, for example where you currently are on your sustainability journey (e.g. beginner, advanced) and the style or type of documentation produced by your organisation.
Each of the areas in the template includes sample text or a number of actions or initiatives. These are merely offered as ideas and possible directions to follow; there is no requirement to use them.
This template has been developed by the Department of Health based on a previous document prepared by Sustainability Victoria as part of the ResourceSmart Healthcare program.
The template provides a useful framework for health services and health related organisations to adapt to meet their own requirements.
Generally environmental management plans are either for a period of 2 to 3 years. There may be benefit in aiming to align your environmental management plan with other organisational planning processes, such as the corporate or strategic plan.
Text in shaded boxes (such as this) are instructions and as such should be deleted prior to printing.
Date of release: August 2012.
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Contents
Contents 2
Foreword 3
Executive Summary 4
1. Introduction 5
1.1 Background 5
1.2 About the organisation 5
1.3 Prior actions and achievements 6
2. Environment Policy 7
3. Baseline Environmental Performance 8
3. Environmental Targets 10
3.1 Overview 10
3.2 Management and Communications 10
3.3 Energy Consumption 10
3.4 Water Consumption 10
3.5 Waste Generation 10
3.6 Purchasing 10
4. Action Plan 11
5. Communications Plan 14
5.1 Background 14
5.2 Objectives 14
5.3 Target audience 14
5.4 Key messages 15
5.4 Communication activities 15
5.5 Evaluation 16
6. Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement 17
6.1 Monitoring schedule 17
6.2 Review and progress reporting 17
Foreword
This section should include a message from your CEO and/or Board Chair on their commitment to the plan. It should cover areas such as:
· recognition of links between environmental sustainability, climate and human health,
· improving environmental sustainability is a core organisational goal and a general statement of how the health service is striving to achieve this,
· the benefits that the organisation has already achieved through implementing environmental management actions – for example, reduced operational costs, reduced energy and water consumption, effective risk management, and
· commitment to annual public reporting and accountability.
The foreword should be dated and signed by the CEO and/or Board Chair.
Insert foreword of plan
Executive Summary
This section should include a summary of the key points of the plan, including but not limited to:
· the main points of your environmental policy,
· your main direct environmental impacts resulting from implementation of your core business,
· your key opportunities to influence your community towards more sustainable and health promoting behavior, and
· any targets included in the plan.
Insert executive summary of plan covering main points from each section
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1. Introduction
1.1 Background
This section should include the background to why the plan is being developed. Some example text on why it is important for the health system is included below. Text can be modified and added on why it is important for your specific organisation.
All Victorians have a role to play in making Victoria a more sustainable state for future generations and maintaining our status as one of the world’s most liveable places. Victorian Government departments and agencies, including health services, have a key role to play by integrating the environment into its planning, operations and policy decisions.
The Department of Health is embedding sustainability principles in its activities and is committed to embedding sustainability within the broader Victorian public health system. An integral part of embedding sustainability within the public health system is the adoption of appropriate environmental management planning processes at the health service level, such as this environmental management plan for <Health Service.
This plan has been prepared in accordance with the requirements under the Department of Health’s 2012-13 Policy and Funding Guidelines.
1.2 About the organisation
This section should include an overview of the organisation and description of the scope of the plan, e.g. sites, activities, stakeholders engaged. Some example text is provided below.
The 2012-13 Policy and Funding Guidelines state that the plan must include a clear direction for expanding to all major sites and environmental impacts, including procurement, within two years from producing the first plan.
1.2.1 Overview of organization
Insert overview of organization such as size, catchment area, types of services delivered, main campuses and number of employees
1.2.2 Scope of the EMP
This strategy addresses all relevant aspects of the operation of Health Service, including all sites, agency activities and the delivery of services, including but not limited to amend as appropriate:
· hospitals and residential aged care services,
· corporate offices and facilities,
· support services (e.g. catering, cleaning),
· education/research,
· delivery of campaigns/programs/events,
· community based health services,
· facilities operations,
· new capital works,
· other>.
1.3 Prior actions and achievements
This section should include a description of your achievements and prior actions to date. Including prior actions is helpful in recognising achievements to date, enabling monitoring and tracking of prior issues and avoiding unnecessary duplication of effort.
Some example text is provided below. Where practicable performance data should be included and presented in a visual manner to indicate the level of achievements.
Health Service has had an Environment Committee since date. This committee has met regularly to reduce the levels of waste to landfill and increase recycling and improve our environmental performance.
Environmental achievements of <Health Service> since <date have included:
· improving energy efficiency by ……
· reducing water consumption by ……
· reducing waste to landfill by ……
· increasing recycling rates by ……
· met with all legislative environmental requirements including reporting against the National Pollutant Inventory and National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme and preparing and implementing an Environment Resource and Efficiency Plan <amend as appropriate.
· collected environmental data and reported to the Department of Health on an annual basis since 2005-06.
2. Environment Policy
This section should include a copy of your environment policy, or other policy as relevant. Your policy can also be included as an appendix and referred to here.
An environment policy is a public commitment to improving environmental performance and should be consistent with, and lead the development of, the EMP. Ideally the policy should only be about a page in length and signed by your CEO and/or Board Chair.
As part of the communication plan (see section 5) you may wish to also display your policy in publically accessible areas of your facilities (e.g. reception areas), as well as on your website.
Insert copy of environment policy
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3. Baseline Environmental Performance
This section should include your baseline environmental data. The following table, is aligned with the department’s Environmental Reporting Guidelines, should be used for recording baseline data.
Environmental data for multiple years can be included depending on how far back data is readily available. Where multiple data is included the plan needs to be clear from what baseline year performance will be measured.
The key indicators for environmental performance are energy and water consumption, carbon emissions and waste generation. It is preferable that these are normalised against your level of activity (e.g. bed-days) and/or floor area (e.g. metres squared).
Further advice on environmental indicators is available in the department’s ‘Environmental reporting guidelines’ at www.health.vic.gov.au/sustainability.
Greenhouse gas conversion factors are available at:
www.climatechange.gov.au/publications/greenhouse-acctg/national-greenhouse-factors.aspx.
The data for date represents the baseline data from which performance of this plan will be measured.
Energy consumptionTotal energy consumption by energy type (GJ) / Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3
Electricity
Natural gas and LPG
Other energy types (e.g. steam, diesel)
Total (gigajoules)
Normalised energy consumption / Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3
Energy per unit of floor space (GJ/m2)
Energy per unit of activity (GJ/activity)
Add relevant notes / contextual information
Greenhouse gas emissions
Total greenhouse gas emissions (tonnes CO2e) / Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3
Scope 1
Scope 2
Total
Normalised greenhouse gas emissions / Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3
Emissions per unit of floor space (kgCO2e/m2)
Emissions per unit of activity (kgCO2e/activity)
Add relevant notes / contextual information
Water consumption
Total water consumption by type (kL) / Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3
Potable water
Re-used / recycled water
Total
Normalised water consumption / Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3
Water per unit of floor space (kL/m2)
Water per unit of activity (kL/activity)
Water re-use and cycling / Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3
Re-use / recycling rate (percentage)
Add relevant notes / contextual information
Waste generation
Total waste generation by type (Tonnes) / Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3
Clinical waste
General waste
Recycled waste
Total
Normalised waste generation / Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3
Waste per activity (kg/activity)
Waste recycling / Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3
Waste recycling rate (percentage)
Add relevant notes / contextual information
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3. Environmental Targets
This section should cover any targets that have been adopted as part of the plan. The adoption of targets is not mandatory but they can be helpful to focus actions. If no targets are being adopted this section should be deleted.
Any targets adopted should be quantifiable and focus on what you hope to achieve over the life of this iteration of your plan.
Consideration needs to be given to the resources available to meet the target and what your organisation’s usual approach to setting targets is.
When presenting targets it is recommended to group them by environmental impact, e.g. group energy related targets together. Some example text and targets is provided below.
3.1 Overview
Environmental targets have been set to improve environmental performance. The targets are in line with the environment policy and focus on amend as appropriate:
· minimising water and energy consumption, and waste generation,
· a preference for procurement of sustainable products and services,
· the integration of environmental assessment into key decision-making processes, and
· targets covering all entity operations.
3.2 Management and Communications
Develop an environment policy by date.
Develop targets for improving environmental performance for waste, energy and water reduction by <date> against the <year> baseline.
Increase our ability to measure our environmental impacts by establishing data collection systems or processes before <date.
3.3 Energy Consumption
Reduce energy intensity per floor area / bed-day by per cent from <year> baseline by year>.
3.4 Water Consumption
Reduce water intensity per floor area / bed-day by per cent from year> baseline by year>.
3.5 Waste Generation
Reduce waste generation per patient treated by <per cent from year> baseline by year>.
Increase proportion of waste recycled to per cent by date>.
Undertake biannual audits to assess contamination of waste streams.
Reduce clinical waste generation by <per cent from year> baseline bydate.
3.6 Purchasing
Develop and implement an environmental purchasing policy by date>.
Integrate environmental specifications into purchasing policy by date>.
Include key environmental specifications for procurement of <identify goods and/or services.
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4. Action Plan
This section is the primary component of the plan and should detail the actions that will be undertaken over the life of the plan.
This template groups actions by environmental impact (e.g. waste, water, energy) but they could also be presented in line with ‘Operational Activities’ (e.g. infection control, or surgery), or in line with existing quality or safety management system action plans.
The action plan should identify a number of strategic actions identified for implementation. Other actions could be classified as medium or longer term actions.
If you are required to produce an Environmental Resource Efficiency Plan (EREP) this can form the energy and waste components of the action plan.
The table below includes suggested actions only and a more detailed list is available from the department by e-mailing .
Action / Campus(location of where action is being implemented) / Responsibility
(who is responsible for the action) / Timing
(when the action will be implemented) / Status
(what the status of the action is) / Funding
(what the action will cost) / Pay-back
(how quickly the action will pay-back investment) /
Management
Develop environment policy and have it endorsed by senior management. / Organisational wide / Environmental Services / DATE / In progress / NA / NA
Establish environment committee, recruit members and agree terms of reference / Organisational wide / Environmental Services / DATE / In progress / NA / NA
Energy
Investigate opportunities for shutting down areas not required for 24hrs / Hospital 1 / Engineering / DATE / In progress / TBC / TBC
Install timer-switches on domestic hot water units / Hospital 1 / Engineering / DATE / In progress / TBC / TBC
Investigate opportunities for optimising boiler efficiency / Hospital 2 / Engineering / DATE / In progress / TBC / TBC
Implement education program to encourage staff to turn off computers and monitors before going home / Organisational wide / IT / DATE / In progress / NA / NA
Water
Investigate opportunities for capturing RO water and reusing in toilets / Hospital 2 / Engineering / DATE / In progress / TBC / TBC
Install flow restrictors on all taps / Hospital 2 / Engineering / DATE / In progress / TBC / TBC
Carbon
Undertake a carbon footprinting exercise to better understand most carbon intensive activities / Organisational wide / Engineering / DATE / In progress / TBC / NA
Waste
Complete Victorian health service waste reporting tool on a monthly basis / Organisational wide / Environmental Services / DATE / In progress / NA / NA
Investigate options for reducing waste from food services / Kitchens, acute wards, retail spaces and cafeteria / Environmental Services / DATE / In progress / TBC / TBC
Data
Request and analyse interval data from energy and water suppliers to better understand building performance / Organisational wide / Engineering / DATE / In progress / NA / NA
Collect and analyse sub-meter data on a monthly basis suppliers to better understand building performance / Organisational wide / Engineering / Monthly / In progress / NA / NA
Other
Investigate potential of capturing green procurement information in finance system (i.e. via cost/item code) / Organisational wide / Finance / DATE / In progress / NA / NA
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