Environmental policy

Introduction

Background

The National Library of Australia is the country's largest reference library. Our role is to ensure that documentary resources of national significance relating to Australia and the Australian people, as well as significant non-Australian library materials, are collected, preserved and made accessible either through the Library itself or through collaborative arrangements with other libraries and information providers.

Scope

This policy covers all activities at the Library’s properties located in Parkes and Hume within the Australian Capital Territory. These facilities comprise of public buildings, office space, conservation storage and grounds.

Policy Aims

This policy aims to:

Environmental Sustainability

• Give effect to the government policy requirement that agencies should conduct their operations in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Environmental Management System

• Give effect to the government policy requirement that agencies should develop, implement and maintain a formal Environmental Management System for their operations.

Definitions

Environmental Management System (EMS)

• Part of an organisation’s management system used to develop its Environmental Policy and manage the environmental aspects of its operations.

Management System

• A management system is a set of interrelated elements used to establish policy and objectives, and to achieve those objectives.  A management system includes organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources.

Source: AS/NZS ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems – Requirements with guidance for use.

Policy Statement

The National Library of Australia acknowledges the importance of protecting the environment in a sustainable manner to help reduce any damage or impact its operations and activities might have. The Library is committed to ensuring this in a sustainable, financial and technically feasible approach through the development, implementation and maintenance of an Environmental Management System.

As part of this Environmental Management System, the National Library of Australia’s focus will be to:

• Comply with relevant Australian Government environmental legislation, regulations and policies and other leading practice requirements to which the Library subscribes;
• Consider sustainability issues in the planning and management of the National Library operations and activities including capital works projects;
• Prevent pollution; minimise waste and greenhouse gas emissions; and minimise our consumption of energy, water and natural resources; through both technical and staff based initiatives;
• Set, meet and periodically review environmental objectives and targets;
• Implement procurement procedures that adhere to the principles of the Environmental Policy;
• Communicate this Environmental Policy and our Environmental Management System to staff, contractors, consultants and volunteers;
• Provide environmental awareness and training to ensure staff throughout the Library are aware of their environmental roles and responsibilities;
• Strive for continual improvement of environmental performance through the monitoring of our achievements on a regular basis and reporting to relevant stakeholders; and
• Communicate this Policy to Library users and the public.

Key roles and responsibilities

Director-General

• Overall responsibility for the ecologically sustainable development of the Library’s operations.
• Approval of the Environmental Policy.

Corporate Management Group

• Approval and review of the Environmental Management System.

Asst D-G Corporate Services

• Overall responsibility for implementation of the Environmental Management System.

EMS Coordinator

• Operational responsibility for implementation of the Environmental Management System.

Key outcomes and outputs

What are the key outcome(s) and output(s)?

• Development, implementation, maintenance and periodic review of the Environmental Management System
• Development and implementation of annual Environmental Action Plans
• Monitoring and reporting on the Library’s environmental performance
• Continual improvement in the Library’s environmental performance

Implementation process

How will we implement this policy?

The Environmental Policy will be implemented through:

• Development, implementation, maintenance and periodic review of the Environmental Management System
• Development and implementation of annual Environmental Action Plans
• Communication of the Environmental Policy and the Environmental Management System to staff, contractors, consultants and volunteers, Library users and the public.

Revision

• This Policy is reviewed every three years.

References

What are the key references for this policy?

The following documents and/or legislation were considered when developing this policy:

• AS/NZS ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems – Requirements with guidance for use