The Environmental Management System (EMS) is a framework that encourages the university to realize its environmental goals and continuously improve its environmental performance through consistent controls of its operations.

The expectation is that this increased control will improve the environmental performance of the university. It is a proactive approach engineered to reduce the risk of non-compliance and improve health and safety practices for employees and the public. The EMS can also help address non-regulated issues, such as energy conservation, and can promote stronger operational control and employee stewardship.

The system follows a repeating cycle. The university first commits to an environmental policy, then uses its policy as a basis for establishing a plan, which sets objectives and targets for improving environmental performance. The next step is implementation. After that, the company evaluates its environmental performance to see whether the objectives and targets are being met. If targets are not being met, corrective action is taken. The results of this evaluation are then reviewed by top management to assess whether the EMS is performing to expectations. Management then revisits the environmental policy and revises the plan accordingly with new targets.

The university then implements the revised plan. The cycle repeats, and continuous improvement occurs.

Browse our EMS policies, check out the EMS manual, and explore training requirements.

EMS Policy Statement

St. Edward's recognizes its role in educating the university community about the importance of both individual and institutional environmental responsibility. It also recognizes its responsibility in implementing initiatives towards making a more sustainable and greener campus. In accordance with our university mission statement, we encourage our campus community to “recognize their responsibility to the world community” as good stewards of resources.

It is the policy of St. Edward’s University to promote environmental responsibility as an organization, and to continually improve its environmental management practices and procedures and overall environmental stewardship. In cooperation with our faculty, staff and student population, we commit to fostering sustainable practices across campus and promoting a safe and healthy environment through:

  • Educating members of our campus community of their roles and obligations in preventing negative environmental impacts, and respectfully challenging one another to make more environmentally friendly choices
  • Working collaboratively with our students, our vendors, and the larger community on environmental efforts that will have a positive influence on both the local and global communities
  • Prudent stewardship of our resources and the implementation of programs intended to reduce our consumption and conserve natural resources through innovative practices and procedures
  • Continually improving the university’s environmental performance through procedures established in the university’s Environmental Management System (EMS)
  • Complying with all applicable environmental regulations and other environmental programs to which the university subscribes
  • Preventing or minimizing damage to the environment through the implementation of effective pollution prevention programs.

EMS Team

The campus-wide environmental management system (EMS) includes personnel from the areas that are directly responsible for addressing issues such as waste management, energy conservation and overall environmental performance. The EMS team submits reports annually to the vice president for Academic Affairs, vice president for Financial Affairs and vice president for Student Affairs.