What is an environmental policy?

This is a statement, usually one A4 page in length, setting out the city’s position on the environment. It serves a variety of functions:

• It commits the city to improvements that are acceptable to the city and its own objectives
• It informs others that the city is in control and is effectively managing the environment
• It guides the development of the environmental management strategy
• It illustrates a proactive stance that will follow through into other urban activities and arrangements.
• It is an essential component of any formal Environmental Management System (EMS).

There are a number of components that will form the core of any good environmental policy:

• Introduction to the city and its features
• General statement of intent to manage the activities of the city so as to minimise impact on the environment.
• A commitment to regulatory compliance
• A commitment to continual improvement
• Statements of how the city will deal with significant impacts identified.
• A statement of how communication with internal and external stakeholders will be met.
• An indication of how the programme of improvement and development of the system will progress.
• Date and signature from the Mayor or Chief Executive.

Considerable effort will be required to formulate the policy to ensure that it is taken seriously and that it does form the key to the overall management of environmental affairs for the city.