Environmental Management in the Scottish Government
1. The Scottish Government has adopted an environmental policy aimed at improving its environmental performance and reducing the environmental impacts of its own activities and operations.
2. The Scottish Government has also adopted an environmental management system to support its policy. The system sets out the roles and responsibilities for managing, auditing, reviewing and updating its policies and procedures in support of its overall environmental policy.
Roles and Responsibilities
3. Senior management of the Scottish Government has overall responsibility for the environmental policy statement, the management system which supports it and for compliance with Ministerial objectives in relation to environmental issues.
4. Building-specific Operational Environmental Working Groups, consisting of members from policy areas within each building, are responsible for tracking objectives, targets and management programmes and generating actions to make sure that they deliver on the ground.
5. The staff network of Environmental 'Guardians' across the Government are responsible for promoting the environmental policy in their areas and providing audit reports on performance.
6. Departmental managers, staff and any contractors working on the estate are expected to follow the principles of the environmental policy statement and its supporting policies and procedures.
Objectives and Targets
7. The Scottish Government will adopt on an annual basis targets for environmental improvement. These will be specific, measurable, achievable and consistent with Ministerial policies for environmental improvement, protection and sustainability.
Audit and Review
8. The Scottish Government aims for continuous improvement in its environmental performance. To achieve this, performance will be monitored along with progress towards any targets. Management information will be collated for an annual report to senior management. The Scottish Government will publish an Annual Report of its performance in this area.
Regulations
9. The Scottish Government will review annually existing and impending environmental legislation that impacts on its business activities.
Training
10. Training will be arranged for those Environmental Guardians who are based in the 14 target buildings, to assist them in their role in promoting the environmental policy. The Government will also take steps, through roadshows, seminars and promotional materials, to improve staff awareness of its environmental performance.