Diploma of Environmental Sustainability 30584Qld

The Diploma of Environmental Sustainability is for:

• specialist managers with responsibility for environmental management, or
• generalist managers with a specific brief to manage environmental performance – this could include the owner / manager of a small business, or
• consultants or advisers helping an organisation to manage environmental performanceAny organisation developing its triple bottom line sustainability will gain great value from managers doing this program.

The program is designed to apply to managers in all types of organisations in the public, private and community sectors. It applies equally to manufacturing and service industries.

During the course of developing the Diploma, significant work was carried out to ensure the qualification is relevant to managers in small to medium sized enterprises.

Similarly, care has been taken to ensure that the program can be used by those whose role is to advise organisations on the improvement of environmental performance (through consultancy or regulatory work, for example).

“The approaches adopted are innovative, advocating a flexible learning approach and linking work-based competencies with qualifications.”
Independent National Report for Educational Effectiveness, 1997.

How does the program relate to triple bottom line sustainable development?
Triple bottom line sustainable development seeks to ensure that current economic, environmental and social activity do not adversely affect the potential for future generations to meet their needs.

While the program focuses upon environmental performance, this is set within the economic and social activities of an organisation.

For organisations seeking to increase the sustainability of their actions and to commit to sustainable development as an objective, the Diploma can, therefore, be used to inform and key competencies required of managers seeking to manage sustainable development.

Any agency wishing to support the implementation of international standards in environmental performance will have its success enhanced by using this program to support its managers.

LEARNING CHOICES

Seven (7) mandatory units and two (2) optional units are required for the award of the qualification.

Mandatory units

BSBFLM501B Manage personal work priorities and professional development

BSBCMN413A Implement and monitor environmental
policies

BSBCMN313A Maintain environmental procedures

UNIT 3 (H2): Gain support and commitment for improving environmental performance

BSBMGT507A Manage environmental performance

BSBMGT610A Manage environmental management system

UNIT 23 (H8): Audit environmental performance

Optional units

BSBFLM505B Manage operational plan

BSBFLM513A Manage budgets and financial plans with the work team

BSBFLM503B Manage effective workplace relationships

BSBFLM511B Develop a workplace learning environment

BSBFLM506B Manage workplace information systems

UNIT 15 (E4): Monitor and evaluate energy efficiency

UNIT 16 (E8): Provide advice and support for improving energy efficiency

BSBFLM509B Facilitate continuous improvement

BSBCMN419A Manage projects

UNIT 6 (H7): Plan, monitor and support auditing of environmental performance

Principles of good practice

The standards for the Diploma of Environmental Sustainability aim to improve organisational performance by raising the competence of managers.

The Standards are based on principles of good practice and describe the contribution which managers, within the constraints of their organisational role, influence and authority, can make towards achieving the broader goals of sustainable development.

The program is nationally accredited in Australia.

Managers will be supported toward being able to:
1 recognise and communicate the real organisational advantage which can accrue from improving environmental performance;

2 seek to influence others to improve environmental performance through awareness-raising, motivation, involvement, training and by example;

3 keep up to date with developments in terms of legislation, guidance and best practice in your own and related fields;

4 seek to integrate improved environmental management into all management activities;

5 adopt a long-term perspective that takes into account the needs of future generations;

6 recognise the importance of taking action to prevent or minimise environmental problems rather than treating problems after they occur;

7 collaborate with interested parties, establishing partnerships and networks where these are appropriate;

8 continuously appraise activities, products and services with regard to the likely costs and benefits to the organisation and the environment;

9 seek to minimise the adverse environmental impact of all work activities;

10 use the best available techniques and resources, seeking to minimise waste, and recycle and re-use materials where this is practicable;

11 alter and refine activities, products and services to involve the use of more environmentally friendly materials and processes;

12 seek to work within the environment’s capacity to provide resources and to assimilate waste;

13 ensure that management solutions do not lead to worse environmental problems; and

14 balance the environmental, social and economic activities of the workplace.

Is technical and scientific knowledge required?
As a qualification which is designed to be applicable to the widest range of managers in all sectors, the Diploma of Environmental Sustainability does not require specific technical or scientific knowledge. Such knowledge requirements are likely to vary from industry to industry, and also geographically throughout Australia and beyond. Technical and scientific knowledge requirements are covered in broad terms within the Standards, and organisations will be helped to contextualise these requirements to meet their own specific needs.

Approach to learning and assessment
The Diploma is structured to be completed within a twelve to eighteen month period. Participants are assessed against their demonstrated environmental management competence in the workplace. Learning is delivered via face-to-face lectures and workshops and/or distance delivery. Each participant receives a guaranteed number of hours coaching on a one-to-one basis.

Outsource Services conducts a number of programs and services in environmental management, sustainability consultancy and training, and sustainability reporting and auditing. We adopt a positive and optimistic approach to our programs and consultancies and employ consultants with expertise in sustainability and in learning processes. Staff for this program include workplace practitioners who have facilitated environmental management processes in real work environments. Academics and technical staff are also included on Outsource Services' faculty for the Diploma programs.

“There are a growing number of business owners and managers who are changing their enterprises to become more environmentally responsible…”

“Companies that ignore the message of natural capitalism do so at their peril”.

Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and L.Hunter Lovins, 1999 in “Natural Capital”