Nine Locks, Brierley Hill
01384 812345 
Internal Environmental Policy
"The Council intends through the Policy Statements contained in this document to improve its own environmental performance as an owner of land and buildings and through the utilisation of the resources it consumes."
Introduction
At this stage the Environmental Policy is primarily concerned with the Council's internal management and control mechanisms as a business entity to achieve improvements and lead the process.
Background to the Environmental Policy
The Council is committed to ensuring that the environment is clean, safe, healthy and attractive. This is a priority within the Community Plan.
Through managing its own performance, the Council can effect its own impact on the local environment and identify improved performance and good practice. It also seeks to change attitudes and encourage others to contribute to more effective environmental management. 'This policy, therefore, is to enable the Council to take effective control of its own business impact on the environment'.
This Environmental Policy is an umbrella policy that covers primarily the areas of climate change, energy management, sustainable purchasing, managing waste, education and awareness and management of the Council's own land, buildings and their use.
Detailed guidance notes will be provided for each of these areas in order to:
- help staff meet the targets identified in the policy, and
- help the Council to set its own standards for an improved environmental performance.
Sustainable development may be defined as development that meets the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development strategies rest on the key elements of effective protection of the environment, prudent use of natural resources, social progress and high and stable levels of economic growth and employment.
Relationship to other Council Policies and Plans
The links to other Council plans and policy areas are set out below. Other Council plans
and guidelines that exist will help to support the achievement of the Environmental Policy
and targets set.
and guidelines that exist will help to support the achievement of the Environmental Policy
and targets set.
Environmental Policy Hierarchy of Objectives Context Within The Overall Local Council Policy Areas |
Vision for the Borough Working together to achieve a fairer society |
Community Plan Local Agenda 21 |
| Level 1. Policy Drivers Including high level Performance Targets | Environmental Policy | Health Improvement Plan | Community Safety | Others |
| Level 2. Horizontal Action Planning Mechanisms and Plans | Local Agenda 21 Action Plan Unitary Development Plan Transport Plan Air Quality Management Bio-diversity Plan Competition and Procurement Guides And Others | |||
| Level 3. Business Planning Processes (All Business Plans to include Performance Management Framework - EFQM) | Business Plans to account for Environmental Impact including measures contained within EFQM by: eg Impact on Society - Business Results | |||
Targets and Performance Monitoring
Unless otherwise stated, the targets are set against the period of the Community Plan i.e. up to 2005. The policy will be reviewed regularly. It is intended to produce guidance notes for each of the areas covered in the policy.
Mechanisms for Monitoring Progress and implementation
The way the policy will be monitored will be through the Council's approved performance management framework.
The targets within this Policy will also be included in the Council's Best Value Performance Plan (BVPP
Environmental Policy Statements
| Policy Statement 1 |
| The Council's Contribution to Carbon Dioxide Reductions (Climate Change) The Council supports the Government's policy of seeking to identify measures to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases. In doing this, the Council will support consideration being given to all design schemes and tender evaluations to identify Plan initiatives which contribute to achieving reduction of carbon dioxide. |
| Performance Management Process |
| Target 30% reduction from 1990 levels by 2010. Mechanism for Progress
|
| Policy Statement 2 |
| Energy and Building Management within the Council The Council will support developments of initiatives which encourage the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the following areas:
|
| Performance Management Process |
| Target 3% reduction in energy use per year until 2002, then 1% reduction in energy use per year. Mechanism for Progress
|
| Policy Statement 3 |
| Sustainable Council Purchasing The Council will review and determine measures to implement the Council's sustainable purchasing policy for goods and services, in compliance with the Council's competition policy. In doing this, the Council will monitor the progress made and research environmental credentials of products and the environmental policies of the producers and suppliers. |
| Performance Management Process |
| Target That all (100%) of Council purchasing decisions should take account of sustainability purchase issues. Mechanism
|
| Policy Statement 4 |
| Education and Awareness of Employees The Council recognises that staff need to be aware of the impact that they and their services have on the environment. In addressing this need, the Council will identify training needs, provide environmental information and undertake awareness raising campaigns. |
| Performance Management Process |
| Target All staff Employee Development Interviews and all Team Business Plans to address sustainability. Mechanism
|
| Policy Statement 5 |
| Council's Commercial Waste - Waste Reduction, Re-use and Recycling Waste can be reduced by changes in practices (e.g. less use of packaging, reduction in paper, re-use of office equipment and recycling where possible of all goods). The Council will support initiatives that improve the Council's performance on waste reduction, reuse and recycling. This will start with an audit of the waste that can be recycled by the Council. |
| Performance Management Process |
| Target Increase the amount the Council recycles by 5%. Reduce the amount of commercial waste sent to landfill by 2005 to 85% of that land filled in 1998. Mechanism
|
| Policy Statement 6 |
| Council Owned Land Management The Council recognises the importance of managing its own land that it holds as an asset and its influence on land use and bio-diversity in the Borough. It also recognises the importance of sustainable practices and remediation of land that has been subject to contaminative use. |
| Performance Management Process |
| Target All decisions regarding land management of Council owned land to take account of sustainability matters. Prepare a sustainability checklist to ensure effective monitoring. Mechanism
|
Summary
This is Dudley Council's Internal Environmental Policy, the purpose of which is to improve its own business impact on the environment. The development of the detailed guidance notes, business planning and other mechanisms for delivery will need to take account of the changing external environment in which the Council operates. The Policy and particularly the detailed guidance notes to be developed for each Policy Statement will be reviewed regularly. In the next stage of this Policy, consideration will be given to the aspects that concern the various Departmental service areas directly provided.
Contacts
If there are any inquiries concerning the implementation of this Policy or the detailed guidance notes. Please contact one of the officers detailed below, who will be able to inform you of the relevant Council Officers involved.
© 2005 - 2008 Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Council House, Priory Road, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 1HF