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UNIT 4: ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
✓ The environment champion and the management team should serve as the central
co-ordination unit.
✓ The environment management team should include a representative from each
department, with responsibility for ensuring that the environment management
programme is implemented in that department.
✓ Establishing departmental environment performance targets facilitates delegation of
responsibility. For example, F & B departments could be required to reduce packaging
waste by 20%, and housekeeping to reduce the use of toxic cleaners by 40%.
✓ On-the-job training, supported by training instruction sheets in the case of complex
technical work, is most suitable for integrating environment action into hospitality
practices. Managers, supervisors, or external trainers could conduct this training. To
support training efforts, informal seminars and poster displays could be organised.
✓ Training programmes should be developed to inform and demonstrate to employees:
• What should be done;
• How it should be done;
• Why it should be done this way;
• How often it should be done (daily, weekly, monthly);
• Potential difficulties and how they can be rectified;
• What the expected results of their actions are.
✓ Senior management should show leadership. Small actions such as switching off
lights, using both sides of office paper and separating waste are good ways to
demonstrate that environment management is a serious effort and has company
commitment.
✓ Networking is important. Businesses should participate in local environment
initiatives such as round tables, industry partnerships, tree planting and wildlife
conservation initiatives.
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✓ It is also good to subscribe to a few business and environment journals. This helps the
environment champion and the management team to gain a deeper understanding of
environment issues and how other businesses handle them.
✓ As the environment management programme gets underway, employees should be
kept informed of progress, with reports and monitoring sheets posted up, announced
at staff meetings, and featured in internal newsletters. This will help reinforce
responsibility and motivation. Employee morale may increase as staff come to realise
they are working for a business that is concerned about working comfort, safety and
environment improvement.
✓ Participation in the environment management programme should be a criterion for
performance evaluation. ‘Good environment ideas’ and ‘outstanding environment
contributions’ could be rewarded with prizes. Some hotels organise ‘Green Employee
of the Month/Year’ competitions.