Canberra Office Operations Environmental Policy
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, 2011
Download
Our Organisation
The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (the department) develops and implements national policy, programs and legislation to protect and conserve Australia's environment and heritage. The department's operations are conducted in various locations throughout Australia. Our office based activities occur predominantly in Canberra, but also in Hobart and Darwin. We maintain National Parks and Botanic Gardens in the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, and Norfolk Island, and undertake research in the Australian Antarctic Territory.
Scope
This policy covers the Canberra office operations excluding the Australian National Botanical Gardens. The department will maintain a certified (ISO 14001:2004) Environmental Management System (EMS) for our operations at our main Canberra office in the John Gorton Building. We will also progressively extend the scope of this EMS to include the department's office-based operations in other Canberra offices where we are the major tenant.
Our Commitment
We aim to minimise the ecological footprint of our operations on the environment. Reflecting our role in the sustainable management and conservation of Australia's environment, we are committed to minimising the ecological footprint of our operations by pursuing environmentally sustainable practices in our operations.
The department will:
- comply with legal and other commitments and agreements relating to environmental management, including the Energy Efficiency in Government Operations Policy, the Australian Packaging Covenant, the National Waste Policy and s. 516A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999;
- actively promote and encourage the adoption of ecologically sustainable work practices and operations;
- prevent the pollution of the environment as a result of our work practices and operations;
- continually improve performance and realise opportunities for environmentally positive contribution;
- report publicly on our environmental performance through the department's Annual Report;
- use materials and resources efficiently; and
- favour the purchasing of more sustainable goods and services in line with the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines “whole-of-life costing” requirements.
Staff & Management Responsibilities
We will:
- ensure that our activities are conducted in accordance with this policy;
- follow all departmental environmental procedures, signage and guidance;
- foster a culture of environmental responsibility at work by reducing consumption of water and natural resources;
- reuse and recycle resources, where possible, to minimise waste-to-landfill and further reduce our impact on the environment; and
- limit our greenhouse gas emissions by minimising energy use in our offices and making environmentally responsible travel decisions.
Before you download
Some documents are available as PDF files. You will need a PDF reader to view PDF files.
List of PDF readers
If you are unable to access a publication, please contact us to organise a suitable alternative format.