Purpose

The purpose of the Environmental Policy to outline Cogito’s commitment to the environment and document our approach to environmental sustainability.

Scope

The Environmental Policy addresses the intended objectives relating to environmental sustainability. The objective of our policy is to embed sustainability principles and practices throughout our business. It’s purpose is to create a framework for the understanding and managing our direct and indirect environmental impacts, risks and opportunities, supporting and informing our decisions.

Policy Aims

This policy aims to:

Environmental Sustainability

• Give effect to the requirement that organisations should conduct their operations in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Environmental Management System

• Give effect to the requirement that organisations should develop, implement and maintain a formal Environmental Management System for their operations.

Definitions 

Environmental Management System (EMS)

• Part of an organisation’s management system used to develop its Environmental Policy and manage the environmental aspects of its operations.

Management System

• A management system is a set of interrelated elements used to establish policy and objectives, and to achieve those objectives.  A management system includes organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources.

Source: AS/NZS ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems – Requirements with guidance for use.

Policy Statement

Cogito acknowledges the importance of protecting the environment in a sustainable manner to help reduce any damage or impact its operations and activities might have. We are committed to ensuring this in a sustainable, financial and technically feasible approach through the development, implementation and maintenance of an Environmental Action Plan. To this end:

• Conserve, reuse and recycle
• Develop safe and sustainable products
• Comply with leading practice requirements
• Consider sustainability issues in the planning and management of our operations and activities
• Prevent pollution; minimise waste and greenhouse gas emissions; and minimise our consumption of energy, water and natural resources; through both technical and staff based initiatives
• Communicate this to staff
• Strive for continual improvement of environmental performance through the monitoring of our achievements on a regular basis and reporting to relevant stakeholders

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Managing Director 

• Overall responsibility for the ecologically sustainable development of the Cogito’s operations.
• Approval of the Environmental Policy.

Administration Management Group

• Approval and review of the Environmental Action Plan
• Overall responsibility for implementation

Office Manager

• Operational responsibility for implementation of the Environmental Action Plan

Key Outcomes and Outputs

What are the key outcome(s) and output(s)?

• Development, implementation, maintenance of the Environmental Action Plan
• Continual improvement in environmental performance

Implementation process

How will we implement this policy?

The Environmental Policy will be implemented through:

• Development, implementation, maintenance and periodic review of our environmental practices
• Development and implementation of annual Environmental Action Plans
• Communication of the Environmental Policy  to staff

Revision

• This Policy is reviewed every three years.

References

What are the key references for this policy?

The following documents and/or legislation were considered when developing this policy:

• AS/NZS ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems – Requirements with guidance for use

Updated March 2022

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