GROUP PROJECT Develop and implement EMS in a hospitality business Ask hotels and restaurants in the region if they would be interested in having a group of students develop an EMS for their business. This will provide a handson practical project for several groups of students (5-6 students per group), and help local businesses improve environmental performance.

The first group of students would visit the property, interview the owner and employees, and then do the following:

prepare and conduct a preliminary environmental review (including level of compliance, fines);

review charges, costs of resource use and waste disposal;

analyse the findings of the review;

develop an environment policy;

establish environmental objectives and targets;

develop a baseline environmental management programme.

A group of students from the next semester could:

help the business further develop the environmental management programme;

implement the programme;

set up regular performance-monitoring practices;

analyse environmental progress.

A group of students from the next semester could then:

carry out an environmental audit;

assess the findings of the audit;

make recommendations on further improvements, revise targets and objectives for continual improvement, and investigate how to maintain environmental enthusiasm within the business.