Council demonstrates commitment to being environmentally responsible
For the 16th year in a row, Warwickshire County Council has been recognised for its environmental management system (EMS) and awarded ISO 14001 certification.
This certification shows that Warwickshire County Council is managing its environmental risks in a structured, transparent way and their environmental impact is being measured and improved. It gives Warwickshire residents and businesses the confidence that environmental risks are being well managed, which is becoming especially important given the threat and impacts of climate change.
The Council was one of the first local authorities in the UK to receive this ISO 14001 certification, which is the internal standard for environmental management systems (EMS) and gives a framework for organisations to follow to identify and control environmental risks, ensure legal compliance, and reduce environmental impact.
Cllr Heather Timms, Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture and the Environment, said: “Managing our environmental risks is a vital part of our work to deliver our Sustainable Futures Strategy. This assessment confirmed that, once again, we meet the requirements of the ISO 14001 standard in all areas and demonstrates our commitment to managing our environmental performance.
“However, while this was an audit for what we’re doing at the Council, we hope it will also encourage our residents to measure their own environmental impact. Anyone interested in tracking their carbon emissions can find help on doing this on our website at www.sustainablewarwickshire.co.uk, along with lots of suggestions on how to reduce them further.”
The Council’s EMS is currently audited by the British Standards Institute (BSI), who carry out an ongoing cycle of assessments. The most recent audit was held over three days in January, involved staff and locations from across the Council’s areas of work and resulted in another excellent result with just three opportunities for improvement.
The Council has recently published its Sustainable Futures Strategy, which sets out a framework and key actions to meet their net zero ambitions.
For information on this and for ways in which Warwickshire residents can get involved with building a sustainable future in the county, visit www.sustainablewarwickshire.co.uk.