Environmental Management Group Structure
Director, Finance & Operations
Key functions:
- Reports to NERC Executive Board (NEB) (via Director Finance & Operations) on NERC environmental issues.
- Sets high-level strategy.
- Approves environmental accounts.
NERC Environment Management Group
- Chair - A senior manager with responsibility for environment.
- NERC Health & Safety Advisor (with responsibility for environment).
- NERC Energy Efficiency Advisor.
- NERC Environmental Co-ordinator (secretary).
- Two representatives from each NERC owned research centre and Swindon Office - representatives are appointed from senior managers with responsibility for environment, competent environmental persons or employee representatives.
- Other members nominated as required with specific responsibilities; eg for travel, biodiversity or other technical aspects.
Key functions:
- Advises Finance & Operations Group and NEB.
- Monitors compliance with legal requirements.
- Drafts and approves the NERC environmental policy.
- Reviews the performance of environmental management systems at the centres and compliance with ISO 14001.
- Sets NERC environmental targets & objectives and sets environmental strategies.
- Reviews environmental performance of NERC.
- Collects environmental data; eg environmental accounts.
- Identifies areas for improvement.
- Acts as a forum to discuss incidents / exchange information on environmental incidents.
- Provides environmental training for the development of staff members.
- Consults and communicates with staff.
- Considers bids for funding from NERC Environmental Fund.
- Develops environmental awareness across the NERC estate.
Centre Environment Committees
- Senior manager with responsibility for environment at centre/site.
- Competent environmental persons.
- Employee representatives.
- Other members with key environmental roles or interests; eg Facilities Manager.
Key functions:
- Monitors, promotes and oversees environmental performance.
- Implements local policies.
- Sets and assesses progress in meeting environmental targets and objectives.
- Ensures achievement and compliance of ISO 14001.
Key roles and responsibilities
Research Centre Directors
Each Research Centre Director nominates two members of staff to represent them on the NERC Environmental Management Group (chosen from three categories: senior management with responsibility for environment; competent environmental persons or employee representative) and ensures that the NERC Environmental Policy is implemented within their centre.
This includes setting up committees which monitor, oversee, advise and consult on environmental performance. This also includes ensuring systems are in place to help meet environmental objectives (such as on recycling, waste, green travel and biodiversity) and ensuring compliance with the International Standard for Environmental Management Systems, ISO 14001.
NERC Director Finance & Operations
The Director Finance & Operations has overall responsibility for managing corporate level environmental activity. He/she provides the link to the NERC Executive Board and controls relevant environment budgets.
Chair of the Environmental Management Group (EMG)
The EMG chair leads and strategically manages the development and co-ordination of environmental management systems across NERC. The Chair is one of the appointed managers from a research centre or Swindon Office and is appointed for 24 months.
NERC Health & Safety Advisor with corporate responsibility for environment
An executive position supporting day-to-day environmental activities across NERC and managing the secretariat support, providing assistance to the EMG and its chair, carrying out operational activities on behalf of Director Finance & Operations and managing the corporate Environmental Management budget.
NERC Energy Efficiency Advisor
The advisor is responsible for the collation of data for the NERC environmental accounts and for the monitoring of energy demand across the NERC estate. The advisor provides energy information to the EMG, recommends energy efficiency improvements and is responsible for the collation of data for the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme on behalf of NERC.
EMG
Staff members from across NERC; eg persons with corporate responsibility for environmental management and/or employee representatives.
Other members
Individuals from within NERC, or from external organisations, who provide specialist advice and support to the EMG, as and when required.
Appointed senior managers with responsibility for environment
Senior managers who have been appointed by their research centre or site as having responsibility for environmental management.
Appointed competent environment persons
Advisors or other experts with suitable qualifications and competence in general or specific areas of environmental management appointed by research centres / Swindon Office to advise on and assist in maintaining and achieving environmental standards and ISO 14001.
Resources
Director Finance & Operation provides a central budget held at Swindon Office to deliver and support the environmental management system. The key points to note are:
- Provides NERC corporate resource and administrative support for EMG.
- Travel & subsistence costs associated with EMG activities will be funded centrally.
- Cost of an annual workshop (one of the four EMG meetings) at a NERC site will be funded.
- Cost of consultancy and other initiatives will be funded within a defined budget.
Staff costs for individual members of EMG and for their involvement in its activities (other than for T&S, etc) will need to be met from within their own research centre budgets.