How to identify your most significant
environmental aspects and impacts
Green Impact
What are the ‘quick wins’ with maximum impact?
How would you implement these
Getting started
B029: The team has identified, ranked and
documented what it believes are its five most
significant environmental aspects & impacts.
What are impacts and aspects
Cause
Environmental Aspect
• any element of an organisation’s
activities, products or services,
that can interact with the
environment.
Effect
Environmental impact
• any change to the environment,
whether adverse or beneficial,
wholly or partially resulting from
an organisations activities,
products or services
EXAMPLE - Printing agendas for meetings
Cause
Environmental Aspect
Aspect: Use of printer
Aspect: Use of paper
Effect
Environmental impact
Impact: contributes to
global warming
Impact: use of fossil
fuels: burden on earths
resources
Impact: Deforestation
Your turn…
Identifying your own environmental aspects and impacts:
 Brainstorm your activities
 What environmental aspects are associated with these?
 What are the environmental impacts of this?
 Identify the significance of each impact:
• Intensity
• Likelihood
Themes to consider
Energy
Heat & lightning
Waste & Recycling
Reuse, recycle & compost
Travel
Bike schemes & Liftshare
Procurement
Worker’s rights, Fairtrade & sustainable suppliers
Wellbeing, Biodiversity & Community
Nature trail & bee hives
Embedding Communication &
Administration
Greening the curriculum & charity in the wider community
General Considerations







Direct or indirect
Real or perceived
Occur under normal operating conditions
Occur under abnormal operating conditions
Due to accident
Due to incident (eg vandalism)
Due to past (or future) activities
Contact details
Sustainable Behaviour Assistant:
Jane Nurse
j.i.p.nurse@swansea.ac.uk
01792606391
Your NUS Green Impact Project Officer:
Odette Wills
Odette.Wills@nus.org.uk
07813921439