University-wide routine for implementation of fundamental analyses

ROUTINE
Decision-maker: Sustainability Manager
Effective from: 29 March 2019
Changes effective from: 1 April 2021
Registration number: V-2019-0343-07
Responsible for supervision and questions: KTH Sustainability Office

1. Purpose

The purpose of this routine is to describe which fundamental analyses are implemented in order to improve KTH's environmental performance and how these are based on planning, implementation, and follow-up of environmental management work and work on the sustainability objectives. Implemented fundamental analyses include the following:  

• External analysis (internal and external impact factors)
• Stakeholder analysis and analysis of binding requirements
• Analysis of risks and opportunities
• The environmental review’s assessment of significant environmental aspects
• Analysis of operational processes from a life cycle perspective

2. Scope/delimitation

The routine applies to KTH as a whole.

3. Definitions

Environmental aspect

Parts of an organisation's activities/operations or products or services that affect or may affect the environment.

Significant environmental aspect

An environmental aspect that has or may have one or more types of significant environmental impact.

Environmental impact

Positive or negative impact on the environment caused entirely or partly by an organisation's environmental aspects.

Life cycle analysis

Systematic analysis of all environmental impact generated by a product/service throughout its life cycle, i.e., from raw material to final disposal after the end of its useful life.

Operational processes

A group of activities in specific areas of activity that interact or influence each other with a clear beginning and end.

Risks and opportunities

Potentially negative effects (threats) and potentially positive effects (opportunities).

Outsourcing activities

To hire an external organisation to implement part of an organisation's function or process.

Stakeholder

Person or organisation that may impact, be impacted, or consider to be impacted by a decision or measure related to the organisation's environmental impact or environmental management.

Binding requirements

Legal requirements that KTH must meet or other requirements that KTH must or chooses to meet.

4. Responsibilities

The Sustainability Manager is responsible for ensuring that fundamental analyses are implemented and followed up within the scope of the environmental management system. The outcome of these analyses will form the basis for KTH's planning, implementation, and follow-up of environmental management within different functions and at different levels within KTH. This includes management, University Administration (UA), and the schools.

The President, Head of UA/Head of School are responsible for ensuring that the outcome of the overall analyses are implemented within each activity.

5. Implementation

A number of analyses form the basis for the scope and design of the management system. These include external/stakeholder and risk/opportunity analysis with binding requirements, analysis of operational processes from a life cycle perspective, and an environmental review to assess the significant environmental aspects.

External and stakeholder analysis including analysis of binding requirements

The external analysis is an analysis that takes place regarding the internal and external factors that affect or may affect KTH's conditions for conducting environmental and sustainability work. A stakeholder analysis is carried out so that KTH can identify relevant stakeholders and assess which binding requirements should be complied with. The external and stakeholder analysis is part of the overall analysis carried out by UA. The analyses shall form a basis for the environmental review and be an integral part of the day-to-day operational planning and follow-up at the overall level and within the university administration and schools.

Analysis of risks and opportunities

Risks with potentially negative environmental effects (threats) and potentially positive environmental effects (opportunities) shall be identified in the context of environmental aspects, binding requirements, and the possibilities of achieving the sustainability objectives. Risk management is coordinated with the work done at KTH within the scope of the regulation on internal governance and control (FISK)[1]. The Sustainability Manager is responsible for annually conducting a risk and opportunity analysis at a comprehensive level within UA and the schools, in cooperation with responsible functions within UA. 

The analyses form a basis for the environmental review and an integral part of the day-to-day operational planning and follow-up within KTH.

[1] Regulation (SFS 2007:603) on internal governance and control.

Analysis of operational processes from a life cycle perspective

Analysis shall be performed of operational processes related to KTH's environmental aspects to identify how environmental and sustainability issues should be taken into account in the activities of the operational processes to increase the positive environmental impact and reduce the negative environmental impact. The aim is to integrate environmental and sustainability work into the operation's processes and to be able to measure and follow up on environmental management and improve KTH's environmental performance.

The Sustainability Manager is responsible for ensuring that analyses of operational processes are carried out in cooperation with responsible functions at different levels within KTH. This is done in connection with updating the environmental review, in connection with major changes in the activities and otherwise when necessary.  

The analyses shall form a basis for the environmental review and be an integral part of the day-to-day operational planning and follow-up within UA and the schools.

Environmental review and assessment of environmental aspects

The results of the above analyses are included in the environmental review's analysis of KTH's environmental aspects and which of these have a significant environmental impact. The significant environmental aspects shall form the basis for the establishment of sustainability and climate objectives and action plan and for environmental management.  

Environmental aspects are valued on the basis of a documented valuation model in order to produce the significant environmental aspects. Environmental aspects that, according to the model, are considered to have a high environmental impact are referred to as significant environmental aspects.

The Sustainability Manager is responsible for ensuring that an environmental review is prepared and kept up to date and that an assessment of significant environmental aspects is conducted at central level based on the above analyses carried out within the university administration and at school level.

The list of environmental aspects and the significant environmental aspects are common to the whole of KTH. Environmental aspects are revised every two years or when necessary or in the event of changes in operations. The need for updates is addressed at the management review. The assessment model, list of environmental aspects, and identified significant environmental aspects are available in appendix.

6. Documentation

Environmental review
Assessment of environmental aspects
List of environmental aspects
External/stakeholder and risk/opportunity analysis and binding requirements
Mapping of operational processes

7. Appendices

KTH's risk analysis (Swedish)

8. Change log