ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP POLICY

Charlotte Mecklenburg Board of Education Policy ECF states, "The Board of Education believes that Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools must be an effective steward of natural resources. The Board hereby commits that the district will continue and strengthen its efforts to operate in a manner that protects and conserves our air, water, and land resources, improves the environment, and promotes environmentally sound behavior".  Policy ECF provides seven environmental focus areas:

• Environmental Compliance
• Pollution Prevention
• Resource Conservation
• Resource Recovery
• Sustainable Development
• Sustainable Purchasing
• Behavioral Change. 

STRATEGIC PLAN 2014 FOCUS AREA 5 ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Strategic Plan 2014 focus area 5, Environmental Stewardship, reinforces the committment to the environment established by the Board of Education.  The key strategy of  focus area 5 is to, "engage all stakeholders in the conservation of resources."   Stakeholder engagement is being promoted in ways including, but not limited to: the school environmental partnership program, environmental stewardship recognition programs, parent university courses, staff training, voluntary student modules, strategic partnerships, tactic plan advisory committees and more. 

Strategic Plan 2014 establishes twelve tactics managed by the Environmental Charter leadership team.   The Charter has established tactical management plan teams headed by director or executive director level staff  each having members from their respective stakeholders groups.  The 12 tactics are:

• Stakeholder engagement
• Development of ISO 14001 compliant environmental management system
• Recognition of the environmental management system by an external organization
• Reduce electrical consumption
• Reduce natural gas consumption
• Reduce potable water consumption
• Develop alternate funding strategies including grants
• Reduce solid waste
• Reduce fleet fuel consumption
• Reduce fleet emissions
• Implement a sustainable development program
• Implement an environmentally sustainable purchasing program

ISO 14001 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The CMS Environmental Management System is being developed in compliance with the internationally recognized ISO 14001 Standard, "Environmental Management Systems." Through partnership with the North Carolina Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Environmental Stewardship Initiative (ESI), CMS has access to EMS coaches, regional ISO EMS experts, mentors, training and general developmental support.  CMS  is the first K12 system recognized as ESI partner in North Carolina.  Each tactic management plan team is developing operational controls that will become elements of the environmental management system to ensure the work of Strategic Plan 2014 continues into the future.