ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
The Strategic Plan 2014 Environmental Charter Tactic Management Plan Engagement Team is charged with developing an Environmental Management System (EMS) modeled on the International Standards Organization (ISO) Standard 14001, “Environmental Management”. The purpose of the EMS is to establish a systematic approach to controlling and improving the environmental impacts of CMS.
The CMS environmental management system is being developed in partnership with the North Carolina Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Environmental Stewardship Initiative (ESI). CMS is the first school system in North Carolina to have established this beneficial partnership with DENR. CMS Associate Superintendent of Auxiliary Services, Guy Chamberlain, is the executive sponsor of the Environmental Charter.
BOARD POLICY ECF
The first requirement of the ISO 14001 Standard is the adoption of an environmental policy. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Board of Education adopted an Environmental Stewardship policy on July 22, 2008. Through this policy the Board stipulated seven environmental focus areas: Environmental Compliance, Pollution Prevention, Resource Conservation, Resource Recovery, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Purchasing and Behavioral Change.
ENVIRONMENTAL METRICS
The Environmental Charter Leadership Team is developing the methods, metrics and criteria for measuring and monitoring CMS environmental performance along with practices for identifying nonconformance and for implementing corrective and preventive actions. These, along with internal system audits and record keeping form EMS checking and corrective action leading to a continuous improvement model.
ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY
The ISO 14001 environmental management system standard requires routine internal senior management review of its activities and result. Board Policy requires an annual report to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Board of Education to include. CMS environmental measures are also reported to the Mecklenburg County Environmental Leadership team and North Carolina Department of the Environment Environmental Stewardship Initiative who in turn reports annually to the North Carolina General Assembly.
The metrics associated with CMS environmental performance are transparent to the public through publication on the CMS Data dashboard.
