Duke

Deborah Gallagher researches and develops strategies for implementing effective Environmental Management Systems. Excerpts from her articles are available here... "Building Environmental Management Systems Focused on Sustainability: The Influence of Employees, Company Leaders and External Stakeholders", in New Horizons in Research in Sustainable Organizations: Emerging Ideas, Approaches and Tools for Practitioners and Researchers, edited by Mark Starik. Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing, 2004. "Environmental Management Systems and Sustainability: A Framework for Understanding Stakeholder Influence", in New Perspective in Research on Corporate Sustainability: Stakeholders, Environment and Society, edited by Sanjay Sharma. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar, 2004. "Environmental Management Systems in the U.S. and Thailand: A Case Comparison", Greener Management International, 2004.

In 2003, Duke University began a major initiative to re-invent its environmental management processes by designing, building, and implementing a management system that will cover all aspects of the University life - education, research, health care, management, operations, and facilities. The initiative builds on the institution's solid environmental history, including regulatory compliance, education, research, and service. An Environmental Management System Planning Committee was formed to design a system to address the growth of campus sustainability and stewardship; to improve and report environmental performance; and, respond to increased scrutiny from the regulatory community.

The committee studied existing and proposed management systems at a number of universities and proposes a performance-based management system focused on key improvement areas. The planning committee's proposed framework is centered on five key focus areas:

• sustainability
• compliance
• resource conservation and preservation
• environmental stewardship
• education and research

Environmental performance goals will be established under this framework and continuous improvement projects and initiatives will be implemented by members of the university community to improve performance and achieve the established goals. A primary goal of the new system is to continuously improve Duke's environmental performance.

Why an Environmental Management System?

Environmental compliance - campus sustainability - the need to improve and report environmental performance - all have become important factors in the decision-making processes of universities. An Environmental Management System or EMS is an effective management tool that will enable the University to improve overall environmental performance, minimize environmental impacts, incorporate environmental issues into decision-making, and integrate environmental values into education and research. Simply put, an EMS is a systematic process to identify the environmental impacts of what we do, establish priorities, set performance improvements goals, initiate projects and continuously monitor and measure success. The EMS can assist the University in moving on a performance continuum from regulatory compliance to environmental stewardship and sustainability through the use of systems thinking and input from key stakeholders.

Environmental issues are now more complex and interconnected. The traditional way of addressing environmental issues - in a reactive, ad hoc, end-of-pipe manner - has become highly inefficient. Few times has higher education been as receptive to change in environmental management as it is now. The University can embrace this opportunity to reinvent current environmental management systems that are reactive, end-of-pipe management processes into performance based management systems that emphasize continuous improvement of performance through increased quality, efficiency and integrity.

Aggressive enforcement of environmental laws and regulations has resulted in new performance and behavioral standards for universities and colleges. For example, US EPA Regions I, II, III, and X (Region IV has announced its intent to target colleges and universities in the coming year) launched initiatives to identify compliance problems at universities through comprehensive multi-media inspections. Numerous violations were found and significant penalties have been assessed. In most cases, negotiated settlements following citations for non-compliance have included a requirement to plan and implement an Environmental Management System. Further, the US EPA Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation issued a notice in May of last year that it had selected colleges and universities as one of seven industry sectors to participate in its Industry Sector Environmental Performance Program. Key elements in that program include (1) Definition of Environmental Performance Measures, (2) Flexibility in Compliance Performance, and (3) Promotion of the Use of Environmental Management Systems.

Colleges and universities are unique places that serve multiple missions, including education, research and public service and therefore environmental management must be addressed in a proactive, yet flexible manner. A carefully designed and properly implemented management system can ensure that environmental goals are met and environmental performance objectives are achieved. A number of systems or system models were reviewed and assessed to identify one that best fits Duke University.  MIT, Boston College, the University of North Carolina, Michigan State, Washington State, Cornell, George Washington University, the University of Michigan and member institutions in the Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence (C2E2) have, among others, recognized the need and opportunity to reinvent current practices and adopt improved management systems.

Website: http://www.safety.duke.edu/ems/
Contact: Bill Brewer, the Director of Environmental Programs in OESO: (919) 668-3218