University-wide procedure for roles, responsibilities and authority in the environmental management system

PROCEDURE
Policymaker: Sustainability Manager
Valid from: 29 March 2019
Amended as of: 1 July 2023
Registration number: V-2023-0004-04
Responsible for review and queries: KTH Sustainability Office

1. Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to describe roles, responsibilities and authority within the environmental management system.

2. Scope/delimitation

The procedure covers the responsibilities of the University Board, President, University Director, Sustainability Manager, heads of school, Vice Presidents and the Dean of the Faculty Council within the environmental management system.

KTH’s procedural regulations state that KTH must promote sustainable development in its activities, which means that current and future generations are assured of a good, healthy environment, economic and social welfare and justice (Chapter 1, Section 5 of the Higher Education Act).

According to the procedural regulations, the President is responsible for ensuring that KTH’s activities promote sustainable development in accordance with Chapter 1, Section 5 of the Higher Education Act and that activities are conducted in accordance with the Regulation on environmental management in government agencies (2009:907).

The environmental management system requires responsibilities, authority and tasks to be distributed within KTH with regard to work on direct and indirect environmental impact. The environmental management system with associated decisions and procedures must indicate how KTH complies with the legal requirements and other requirements imposed on KTH’s activities in respect of environmental and sustainable development.

3. Definitions

OS

Operational Support

Delegation

A transfer of certain decision-making power from one body to a subordinate body.

4. Responsibilities

The President bears general responsibility for environmental and sustainability work at KTH, and for ensuring that it is described in KTH’s general procedural regulations and delegation of authority, which are adopted by the University Board. 

The President has delegated work on the environmental management system to the University Director and the heads of school. They are responsible for ensuring that an environmental management system that fulfils the requirements of the Environmental Management Regulation and ISO14001:2015 is in place and that sufficient resources are allocated to the work. The University Director, in turn, has delegated general responsibility for the environmental management system via the head of division to KTH’s Sustainability Manager, who is also the group manager of the KTH Sustainability Office (Delegation for operational support).

The responsibilities of heads of school and the University Director for environmental and sustainability work are described in the procedural regulations and delegations of authority established within their areas of responsibility.

5. Implementation

5.1 Roles, responsibilities and authority at general level

University Board

The University Board decides on the sustainability policy and KTH’s general procedural regulations.

President

The President decides on the responsibilities of the University Director and heads of school for the environmental management system in the procedural regulations and delegation of authority.

The President decides on general sustainability goals and an action plan, as well as other documents of a general and steering nature regarding environmental and sustainability work.

The University Director with responsibility for operational support (OS)

The Head of Operational Support (OS) bears general responsibility for ensuring that the environmental management system is maintained and developed at KTH.

Sustainability Manager

The Sustainability Manager bears general responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of KTH’s sustainability and climate goals and for the administration and development of KTH’s environmental management system in accordance with ISO14001:2015 and the Regulation on environmental management in government agencies (2009:907). Hence the Head of Sustainability is the management’s representative for KTH’s environmental and sustainability work. The decision-making authority of the Head of Sustainability in respect of the environmental management system is delegated from the President via the University Director to the Sustainability Manager.

The Sustainability Manager must report to the President and the University Director on how the environmental management system is being maintained and developed, and how work on attaining KTH’s sustainability goals and improving environmental performance is progressing.

Sustainability Manager’s decision-making authority:

• To plan and lead activities at the KTH Sustainability Office and the work of the responsible function within the environmental management system and efforts to attain the sustainability and climate goals.
• To carry out basic analyses within the environmental management system.
• To adopt KTH’s significant environmental aspects.
• To adopt KTH’s general environmental management procedures.
• To approve and close non-conformances and suggestions for improvement within the environmental management system.
• To appoint internal environmental auditors.
• To follow up the sustainability and climate goals and report the results to the President, the University Director and the University Board.
• To follow up on action plans linked to KTH’s sustainability and climate goals.
• To conduct the management review/monitoring at central and local level in cooperation with the responsible managers and functions.

KTH Sustainability Office

The Sustainability Manager is responsible for the activities of the KTH Sustainability Office. The main task of the KTH Sustainability Office is to develop and drive work relating to issues in respect of environmental and sustainable development at KTH. Fellow-workers at the KTH Sustainability Office work with integration of sustainability in education, research and collaboration, the work being led by the Vice President for Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Head of Sustainability. Other fellow-workers at the KTH Sustainability Office work with the environmental management system, the sustainability and climate goals and campus-related issues. Work at the KTH Sustainability Office is led by the Head of Sustainability in collaboration with the organisation. Tasks are specified in activity plans, project plans, work descriptions and/or mission statements.

Faculty Council

The Dean of Faculty and Vice Dean of Faculty are responsible for education and research within the framework of the environmental management system. The Faculty Council prepares the central procedures for education and research linked to environmental and sustainable development. The central procedures are adopted by the Sustainability Manager.

5.2 Roles, responsibilities and authority at schools and Operational Support

University director and Head of School

The University Director and head of school are responsible for ensuring that KTH’s environmental management system fulfils the requirements of ISO14001:2015 and the Environmental Management Regulation. The University Director and head of school are responsible for ensuring that sufficient resources are available for the administration and development of the environmental management system at OS and the schools.

Within the framework of their activities, the University Director and school director adopt procedural regulations and delegations of authority, job descriptions, action plans, minutes from the management review and local procedures within their area of responsibility linked to the environmental management system. These descriptions are developed in collaboration with the Sustainability Manager.

Responsible manager and specific functions with particular responsibilities within the environmental management system 

Responsible managers and functions at different levels within the schools and OS drive and stand responsible for environmental management at a local level. There are functions and roles within OS and the schools with responsibility and authority for integrating the environment and sustainability into activities linked to sustainability and climate goals, project plans or procedures.

These functions are described in the school or OS delegations of authority and decision-making procedures, as well as job descriptions.

Fellow-workers

All fellow-workers at KTH are responsible for taking environmental and sustainability issues into account, where relevant, within the framework of their regular duties. Fellow-workers are also responsible for being aware of and communicating KTH’s Sustainable Development Policy and for compliance with relevant procedures within the environmental management system.

6. Documentation

General procedural regulations, delegation of authority for KTH

Job descriptions for specific functions with environmental and sustainability-related responsibilities

7. Appendices

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8. Change log