EcoCampus
What is EcoCampus?
EcoCampus is a scheme which offers a flexible phased approach to implementing an environmental management system for the higher and further education sector. Participants gain recognition at each stage of the process through a series of awards from bronze through silver, gold and platinum. The platinum award conforms with the requirements of the international environmental management standard ISO 14001.
Worcester University joined the EcoCampus scheme in 2007, they are certified to ISO 14001:2015. Click here to read their certification journey case study.
- 44% of HE institutions choose EcoCampus to improve environmental performance
- 74 Universities and colleges have participated in the EcoCampus Scheme.
- EcoCampus is applicable to all higher and further education institutions in the UK and Ireland
- EcoCampus is expanding internationally, with its first participating University in China
- NQA is the main certification body for EcoCampus gold and platinum awards
- EcoCampus has been established for 15 years!
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Helps you with
- Provide a framework to manage sustainability with your institution
- Achieve sector and regulatory compliance
- Evidence that action is being taken to reduce the impact of your activities, products and services
- Reduce costs in major resource areas such as energy
- Receive acknowledgement and recognition for your activities undertaken
- Learn from best practice within the sector to help drive improvements in sustainability
- Provides a pathway to ISO 14001
- Address sustainable development and climate change
- Translate your institution values and commitments into mainstream management practice
What are four phases of EcoCampus?
There are four phases of EcoCampus, each phase contains a number of minimum requirements which progressively lead towards the implementation of a fully operational environmental management system (EMS).
1. Bronze – planning
2. Silver – implementing
3. Gold – operating
4. Platinum – checking and correcting.
A certificate is awarded for each phase achieved.
What's included?
EcoCampus not only provides the framework for improving environmental performance, but assists institutions along the way. It provides:
- A flexible approach to implementing an environmental management system (EMS)
- A nationally recognised award scheme for the HE and FE sectors
- Training workshops to help implement the scheme and additional CPD workshops in specific areas of environmental management
- Networks to discuss best practice and exchange ideas
- Comprehensive guides and manuals
- Software applications to assist with operation of the management system (e.g. a full document control system with pre-written templates)
- Consultancy support including one to one sessions.
- External audits and training delivered in partnership with NQA.
Steps to EcoCampus
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Step 1
Assessment - Each phase of the scheme is assessed to ensure that the requirements are fully met.
1. Bronze – planning, 2. Silver – implementing, 3. Gold – operating, 4. Platinum – checking and correcting. A certificate is awarded for each phase achieved. -
Step 2
Award - A certificate for each EcoCampus stage achieved is awarded to successful organisations in recognition of their achievements. Those achieving Platinum will also be certified to ISO 14001.
Upon achieving the requirements of each phase, the institutions details and award level will be added to the EcoCampus register on the EcoCampus website. -
Step 3
Maintenance - The cost of external audits required in the gold and platinum phase are covered by the annual membership fee to EcoCampus - https://ecocampus.uk/.