• Form an Environment Committee and select audit teams representative of administration, students, parents, teaching and support staff.
• Assign goals, tasks and responsibilities.
• Write goals (and outcomes) of the audit. E.g. Increase awareness, change attitudes, link with the curriculum, reduce waste, etc.
• Consider resources for the audit - Establish a fund to provide for the audit, decide on related activities, competitions and events for the school calendar eg. Environmental Youth Forum, Arbor Day, World Environment Day.
• Make contact with local people with knowledge.
• Publicise concept of the environment audit. |
The environmental audit covers the areas of:
- Energy efficiency and consumption patterns
- Materials – waste minimisation methods
- Water usage and catchment management
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STAGE TWO: THE AUDIT
• Select target area – those presented here include energy, materials and water.
• Each team to obtain all relevant bills and consumption data and outline scope of audit.
• Locate all meters and record waste statistics to establish audit baseline.
• Evaluate the best ways of presenting data.
• Teams collaborate to establish a database of relevant information.
• Create “profile of school” in terms of use of all resources and associated costs.
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The whole school environmental audit provides:
- A baseline from which improvements can be measured
- A plan of action which will allow schools to improve their environmental practice
- Participation from all sectors of the school community
- Feedback to those who are involved in the changes
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STAGE THREE: POST-AUDIT
• Write reports from data gathered during audit.
• Set timelines for changes to routines and goals for predicted savings.
• Write final report and action plan, then publicise it.
• Share the positive results.
• Implement new plan (start again at the audit stage).
• Evaluate and assess the success of the audit.
• Identify problem areas and devise plans to tackle problems.
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Outcomes
Individual outcomes
- Identify resources which they use in their daily routines
- Be more responsible in their use of these resources
- Use less of these resources
- Teamwork to conserve these resources
- Record and interpret data about the use of these resources
- Write, implement and evaluate a plan to use resources wisely
School-based outcomes
- Waste less of the resources used
- More efficient use of energy and water
- Cash savings that can be applied to environmental education
- Improved co-operation throughout the school community
- A valuable database
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With global budgeting schools are taking more control of their finances. There are substantial savings to be made by reducing usage and waste and using resources more efficiently. The audit will be successful if everyone in the school community becomes responsible for their own actions.
The aim of this guide is to provide schools with a framework to allow them to undertake an environmental audit. The audit will monitor in an ongoing manner the use of resource by schools and promote a whole school approach to environmental management. Teachers are encouraged to incorporate the audit ACTIVITIES into their teaching programs. |
