Contact
Environment Unit:
miljo@slu.se
News
First external environmental audit at SLU now complete
Published: 05 March 2021
SLU sets the bar high when it comes to environmental work. As part of the work towards SLU’s environmental certification, an audit has been conducted by the certification organisation RISE. Auditors found a total of 43 non-conformities and 47 areas where there is room for improvement. The Environment Unit and environmental coordinators are now working to improve these areas and will submit their results to RISE by 15 May 2021.The plan is for the university to receive its environmental certification in June.
The audit began on 2 February with a visit to several organisations in Funbo-Lövsta outside of Uppsala. The following two weeks involved visits to the majority of the university’s administrative divisions, faculties and departments, the R/V Svea research vessel, experimental stations and agricultural estates. Over the next three years, all of SLU’s campuses and organisations will have been visited.
The auditors looked at:
- management and follow-up of the organisation’s activities that have an environmental impact
- risks and potential
- emergency preparedness procedures
- communication with people who work within or on behalf of the organisation
- awareness of policies, objectives, environmental performance and individual impact on the organisation’s environmental performance
- participation in improvement work
- waste and chemical management
Naturally, the pandemic has impacted the audit and on-site visits could not be conducted for a number of locations. Nevertheless, there are several advantages to elements of the audit having been conducted online. Online audits enable participation from all of our campuses. More people can be part of the initial and concluding meetings. However, on-site visits will be necessary for future audits. Fingers crossed that the situation will have improved by 15 March, when it will time for the next environmental audit.
If you would like to read the audit in its entirety or view the presentation from the concluding meeting you can access them via SharePoint (Swedish only).