Báo cáo " ISO 14001 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR UNIVERSITIES: A CASE STUDY AT HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY IN VIETNAM " pptx

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101

ISO 14001 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
FOR UNIVERSITIES: A CASE STUDY AT HO CHI MINH CITY
UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY IN VIETNAM

Trần Thị Tường Vân
1
và Lê Thị Hồng Trân
2
1
Khoa Môi trường và Công nghệ sinh học, Trường đại học Kỹ thuật Công nghệ TP.HCM
2
Khoa Môi trường, Trường đại học Bách khoa – Đại học quốc gia TP.HCM

TÓM TẮT
Theo xu hƣớng hiện nay, vấn đề bảo vệ môi trƣờng trong giáo dục đại học ngày
càng đƣợc quan tâm nhiều hơn. Thực tế là, các hoạt động đa dạng diễn ra trong trƣờng
đại học sẽ dẫn đến những tác động trực tiếp và gián tiếp nghiêm trọng đến môi trƣờng.
Sự suy giảm và ô nhiễm môi trƣờng gây bởi các trƣờng đại học dƣới dạng tiêu thụ
nguyên liệu, năng lƣợng và thải bỏ chất thải thông qua các hoạt động dạy học và nghiên
cứu, cung cấp các dịch vụ hỗ trợ và từ các khu cƣ trú. Ngoài ra, với sứ mệnh đào tạo
của mình, trƣờng đại học còn có vai trò quan trọng trong công tác giáo dục nâng cao
nhận thức về bảo vệ môi trƣờng cho cộng đồng. Một giải pháp quản lý môi trƣờng thích
hợp là thiết lập hệ thống quản lý môi trƣờng (HTQLMT) và tiến đến đạt chứng nhận
ISO 14001 cho trƣờng đại học. Bài báo đề cập đến nghiên cứu điển hình tại trƣờng đại
học Kỹ thuật Công nghệ TP.HCM (HUTECH) – là đề tài đầu tiên trong nƣớc nghiên
cứu xây dựng HTQLMT theo ISO 14001 cho nhóm đối tƣợng trƣờng đại học. Bài báo
đã xác định các khía cạnh môi trƣờng đáng kể, các mục tiêu và chỉ tiêu môi trƣờng cho

HUTECH. HTQLMT theo ISO 14001 cũng đƣợc thiết lập, bao gồm mô hình
HTQLMT, sổ tay môi trƣờng, một số thủ tục và các biện pháp hỗ trợ.
Từ khoá: ISO 14001, hệ thống quản lý môi trường (HTQLMT), trường đại học Kỹ thuật
Công nghệ TP.HCM (HUTECH).

INTRODUCTION
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH), located in Binh Thanh District, Ho
Chi Minh City, Vietnam, was established in 1995. HUTECH offers courses in 35 disciplines at four
levels including university, college, intermediate and vocational training with a total enrollment of
over 10,000.
In fact, the various complex activities taking place in campus have some serious direct and
indirect impacts on the environment. The universitiy causes environmental pollution and
degradation in form of energy and material consumption via activities and operations in teaching
and research and provision of support services.
Nevertheless, HUTECH‘s existing environmental management practices only focus on
cleaning and solid waste collection. The university has partially classified solid waste at source for
recycling. Usually the cleaning team is in charge of collecting recyclable solid waste including old
newspapers, old reports, old theses , but this work is not officially written in the job description.
While the problem of wastewater and solid waste generated from laboratories (of which most are
hazardous waste) is still not solved completely by classifying and treating separately. Solid waste
from laboratory operations and from other areas is collected together. Wastewater from labs is not
collected and treated separately but is discharged directly into the main drainage system. In
addition, most of labs also do not have equipments to control air pollution except some ceiling and
wall ventilation fans.
The university has no specialized environmental management personnel but several units in
charge of the fields related to the environment. Materials and Equipment department takes care of
campus hygiene and waste collection (Cleaning team); supervises electricity and water saving; and
inspects labour and fire safety. Medical staff plays a certain role in the work of disease prevention.
Politics – Student work department combines with unions such as youth union and student union to
organize extra-curricular activities such as green summer campaign, special days for environment,

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etc. Faculty of Environment and Biotechnology develops more types of environmental
communication such as Environment and Human contest, Greentech club, Environment and Human
general subject, etc.
That was also the general condition of most universities in Vietnam at present. In our country,
the issue of environmental protection in higher education is not paid adequate attention. There is no
specialized environmental management personnel in universities, and of course, an environmental
management system (EMS) has not been established. None of the domestic universities has already
implemented ISO 14001 standard. Number of researches and documentation on this topic is still
very small.
Meanwhile, in the world, the integration of environmental aspects and sustainable
development in higher education have been carried out very early, a lot of studies and
documentation on this issue have been made. Many universities have committed themselves to
associate the concept of environment and sustainability into lecture halls and in all their activities.
The number of universities around the world who have been established an EMS and get ISO 14001
certification is significantly increasing. There are many studies about EMS of university
(Delakowitz et al., 2000; Noeke, 2000; University of Missouri Rolla, 2000; Dahle et al., 2001; EPA,
2001; Michael, 2002; University of North Carolina, 2003; University of Texas M.D. Anderson
Cancer Center, 2004; Savely et al., 2006; and Lraeme et al., 2007). The ISO 14001 standard has
been implemented by a large number of universities in Europe and USA, such as the University of
Gävle in Sweden, the Glamorgan University in UK, the University of Applied Science Hochschule
Zittau / Görlitz in Germany, the University of Missouri Rolla and the University of Texas in USA.
This number is much larger if it is included universities that have an EMS, or integrate
environmental issues and sustainability into training.
Michael Shriberg (2002) found that The University of Michigan Housing Division‘s
(Housing) study on creating an EMS based on sustainability develops a rationale for organizational
alignment with sustainability and assesses leading edge practices. The study recommends altering

Housing‘s current mission statements as well as creating a freestanding sustainability mission
statement. The study includes sustainability assessments of 11 operational and decision-making
areas. The assessments extend beyond traditional environmental audits by developing sustainability
visions, prioritized recommendations and indicators for each area. The study, which forms the basis
of Housing‘s current environmental initiatives, concludes that sustainability management of
university.
Peter Viebahn (2001) indicated that an environmental management model for universities:
from environmental guidelines to staff involvement. This model had applied at the University of
Osnabrück, the basis for a university-related EMS has been developed for the first time in Germany,
the use of which is also possible by other universities. Beginning autumn 1999, this EMS had
gradually been implemented at the University of Osnabrück.
In addition, Barnes and Jerman (2002) have developed an EMS for a multiple-university
consortium in South Carolina‘s three research universities — Clemson, Medical University of
South Carolina and the University of South Carolina. Mason I.G et al. (2002) showed that
implementation of a zero waste program at a university campus. A zero waste program was
established at a university campus in response to grassroots student concern over environmental
management issues. The implementation procedure consisted of initial discussions with academic
and local authority staff at a university environmental forum, the formation of a working group, the
preparation of a funding proposal and the establishment of an externally funded research,
educational and promotional program led by an academic staff member. Support from senior
management existed in the form of a written environmental policy and a signed commitment to
environmental responsibility in tertiary education and university funding support followed the
success of the initial funding application.
Moreover, Habib M et al. (2008) stated that an integrated approach to achieving campus
sustainability has been applied. Universities can nowadays be regarded as ‗small cities‘ due to their
large size, population, and the various complex activities taking place in campuses, which have
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some serious direct and indirect impacts on the environment. The environmental pollution and
degradation caused by universities in form of energy and material consumption via activities and
operations in teaching and research, provision of support services and in residential areas could be
considerably reduced by an effective choice of organizational and technical measures. Although
many environmental protection measures can be seen at some universities, but a more systematic
and sustainable approach to reducing the negative impacts of those activities and making the
campuses more sustainable, is generally lacking. Therefore, this study proposes a framework of a
more suitable approach to achieving campus sustainability that could remedy the limitations of the
current environmental management practices in universities and ensure more sustainability through
the integration of three strategies, namely: university EMS; public participation and social
responsibility; and promoting sustainability in teaching and research.
Therefore, the goal of this paper is to orient an ISO 14001 EMS for HUTECH in order to
improve the environmental protection at university. From that point, the result of this study has
been formed the basis of more researches into establishing an EMS according to ISO 14001 for
other domestic universities later on.

METHODS
The study is based on the following methods:
 A domestic and foreign literature review concerning the establishment of an university EMS
(ISO 14001).
 A survey of the reality of environmental management at HUTECH.
 To take advice from expert in EMS (ISO 14001).
 To analyse, synthesise and compare the surveyed data and documentation.
 PDCA methodology was developed by Deming: the Deming Cycle with 4 steps (Plan-Do-
Check-Act) is applied to ISO 14001 EMS.
 Risk Assessment Matrix (Tran, 2008) was used to identify the significant environmental
aspects in HUTECH:


RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Proposal ISO 14001 EMS model for HUTECH
The proposal ISO 14001 EMS model for HUTECH consisting of three phases is based on the
EMS model developed at the University of South Carolina (Susanne et al., 2006) as shown in Table
1.
Table 1. ISO 14001 EMS implementation model for HUTECH
ISO 14001 EMS implementation model
for HUTECH
Explanation
Phase I
- Gaining top management support
+ Necessary first step to implementation

- Defining an accountability
structure
+ Include individuals throughout the institution in general
categories and by specific name.
+ Incorporate these elements into institutional committee
+ To indentify risk
frequency (F)
Rarely: 1 time per
month (1 point)
Sometimes: 1 times per
week (2 points)
Regularly: every day
(3 points)
+ To indentify risk
effect (E)
Little: below the
standard (1 point)
Medium: meet the

standard (2 points)
Major: exceed the
standard (3 points)
+ To assess risk (R)
Risk (R) = Frequency (F) x Effect (E)
R = 1 - 4 points: no need to concern
R = 5 - 9 points: significant environmental aspect
to be controlled and improved

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meetings and other routine meetings as standing agenda
items rather than set up other meetings, when possible.

- Identifying legal requirements
+ Having a procedure in place provides assurance that a
process exists for tracking, implementing and updating
legal requirements and best practices. Many colleges and
universities use a compliance calendar tool.

- Reviewing operations and
identifying activities that may
affect the environment
+ Examples include hazardous waste handling, energy
usage, etc. Activities are used to determine significant
aspects (‗‗activities, products or services that can interact
with the environment‘‘ ).

- Developing an environmental
policy
+ An ‗‗environmental mission statement‘‘.
Phase
II
- Creating environmental
programs with objectives and
targets and monitoring and
measuring environmental
operations
+ Environmental aspects determined in previous
step/element are used to develop environmental programs,
goals and numerical targets within the goals for the
institution.
+ After identifying environmental activities, aspects,
objectives and targets, an institution is able to determine
what to monitor and measure.

- Establishing a document
control system and documentation
+ Documentation regarding the EMS and the associated
procedures are typically kept online, with the only current
versions designated, as such. Printed versions are marked
uncontrolled. An electronic system is very beneficial in
reducing volumes of paperwork. Time frames for storage
of environmental records should be established.

- Creating and implementing
required environmental procedures
+ Many types of environmental and EMS procedures are

needed to have a formal EMS in place such as those to
minimize deviation from the environmental policy,
objectives and targets, to identify ‗‗operating criteria,‘‘ to
control significant environmental aspects, to ‗‗identify
potential for and respond to emergency situations, and for
preventing and mitigating the environmental impacts that
may be associated with them,‘‘ to correct environmental
non-conformances, and to manage and store
environmental records.
+ Environmental emergency procedures, should include
how to handle environmental releases.
+ In performing routing inspections and after various
incidents, issues that need resolving (non-conformances)
will be noted, thus it is important to have procedures in
place to resolve these issues that may have an
environmental impact.

- Training and communication
+ Training must be tailored to institution and different
stakeholders at the institution to increase support and buy
in.
+ A communications log may be used to track
communications, particularly external communications
with regulators. In most cases, established communication
plans and methods may be used.
Phase
III
- Auditing by internal and external
parties
+ Internal audits are important but usually biased. It is

critical to obtain third party audits, however, they can be
expensive. A more economical route is to arrange for
subject matter expert peer reviews from other colleges and
universities.
Proposal ISO 14001 EMS for HUTECH
Structure and responsibility
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The following EMS structure for HUTECH (Figure 1) is based on the requirements of ISO
14001 and the current organizational structure.

1. President
- To define the environmental policy.
- To appoint the environmental management representation.
- To provide finance and other necessary resources to establish and maintain the EMS
effectively.
- To approve the environmental handbook, environmental goals, environmental targets,
environmental management programs and other documentation of the EMS.
- To command and decide in emergency situations.
- To preside over the management review meeting, giving the final decision to maintain and
improve the EMS.
2. Environmental management representation
- To establish, to implement and to maintain the ISO 14001 EMS.
- To produce the environmental hanbook, environmental goals, environmental targets and to
submit them for the president‘s approval.
- To produce the environmental management programs in co-operation with the heads of the
units.
- To assign specific tasks to involved units and individuals.
-To write general procedures of the EMS, to manage related environmental documents and
records.
- To coordinate with other units in order to consider and evaluate environmental aspects of the
units.
- To organize the measurement and inspection of environmental goals and targets.
- To receive and to handle internal and external information on the environment.
- To plan the annual EMS internal audit for the whole campus.
- To report on the EMS performance and to propose opportunities for the EMS improvement.
- To provide facilities for the management review meetings.
3. Heads of departments and faculties

- To support all activities of the environmental management representation.
PRESIDENT
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
REPRESENTATION
VICE PRESIDENT
Politics – Student
work
VICE PRESIDENT
Planning - Finance
Materials - Equipment

VICE PRESIDENT
Learning by doing
Center
Director
Learning by doing
Center


Chief
Training Dept

Dean
Basic Science Dept


Chief
Organization-
Administration
Chief

Science management-Staff
fostering

Deans of
Facuties
Chief
Training inspection
Dept
Chief
Planning – Finance
Dept
Chief
Materials –
Equipmen Dept


Chief
Politics – Student
work Dept

Figure 1. Organisation chart of
HUTECH EMS
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- To assign tasks to staff of the unit in order to ensure the implementation, maintenance and
continuous improvement of the EMS.
- To identify and evaluate environmental aspects.
- To define the environmental goals and targets of the unit.

- To bear full responsibility for achieving the environmental goals and targets of the unit.
- To deploy the activities, to measure, to tackle and to prevent.
Environmental policy
A reasonable environmental policy (Table 2) will ensure the effectiveness of the HUTECH
EMS.
Significant environmental aspect
Based on emission source statistics at HUTECH, documents on environmental protection of
universities in the world and in consultation with environmental management staff at HUTECH, the
study has identified a list of environmental aspects (Table 3) corresponding to the training activities
of HUTECH. From that point, five significant environmental aspects of HUTECH are determined
by risk assessment matrix method.
Environmental goals and targets: For each significant environmental aspect, the study sets
environmental goals and targets with an estimated completion time in the condition of practical
activities at HUTECH and legal requirements in force, as shown in Table 4.
Environmental Procedures
Besides, the study also puts forward several required environmental procedures for HUTECH
EMS, including Identifying significant environmental aspects procedure, Identifying legal and other
requirements procedure, Communication procedure, Solid waste and hazardous waste management
procedure, Monitor and measure procedure, Nonconformance and corrective and preventive action
procedure, Record keeping procedure and Management review procedure.
Table 2. Environmental policy of HUTECH
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology has the mission of multidisciplinary and multi-sector training
to provide qualified manpower for the industrialization and modernization in Vietnam generally and
Southern Vietnam areas particularly. In fact, the activities taking place in campus bring about the
consumption of energy, materials and chemicals as well as the emission of corresponding waste, especially
wastewater and hazardous waste generated in laboratories. Therefore, we realise that the environmental
management must be is one of the important issues for our operation.
Our basic approach is to minimize the harmful impacts on the environment and to integrate the issues of
environment and sustainable development into communication activities, in the pursuit of a sustainable
society.

We determine to set up the ISO 14001 environmental management system and commit as follows:
1. To comply with environmental legal requirements in Vietnam and other requirements.
2. To save power, water and materials, as well as to reduce environmental pollution.
3. To aim to keep the environment clean:
- To make sure that the parameters of exhaust, wastewater and noise reach Vietnamese standards;
- To manage solid and hazardous waste;
- To ensure the work environment clean and airy.
4. To promote environmental education activities.
5. To improve the EMS continuously.
Our environmental policy shall be communicated to all employees and made available to the public and the
stakeholders.
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Table 3. Evaluation of HUTECH environmental aspects
Environmental aspect
Status
Quantity
Environmental impact
Environmental aspect
evaluation
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
F

E
Risk
=F*
E
Significant
environmental
aspect
Consumed electricity
Normal
775,040 KWh/yr







3
1
3

Consumed water
Normal
40,377 m
3
/yr




3
1
3

Office stationery
Normal
-







3
1
3

Lab chemicals
Normal
-






2
1
2

Consumed petrol (for dynamo)
Ab-normal
210 L/yr







1
1
1

Domestic wastewater
Normal
37,000 m
3
/yr







3
1
3

Wastewater from labs
Normal
2,500 m
3
/yr







2
3
6
Significant
Domestic solid waste
Normal
1,200 ton/yr







3
2
6
Significant
Used papers
Normal
975 kg/yr







3
1
3

Hazardous solid waste from labs
Normal
45,000 kg/yr







2

3
6
Significant
Hazardous chemical gases from labs
Normal
-







2
3
6
Significant
Exhaust from dynamo
Ab-normal
-







1
1
1

Noise from dynamo
Ab-normal
-







1
1
1

Exhaust from printing and photocopier shop
Normal
-







3
1
3

Noise from printing and photocopier shop

Normal
-







3
1
3

Fire risk
Urgent
-







1
4
4

Electricity risk
Urgent
-



1
4
4

Labs risk
Urgent
-







1
4
4

Environmental education
Normal
-


2
3
6
Significant
Note: Risk = F.E > 4: significant environmental aspect
(1): Air pollution; (2): Water pollution; (3): Soil pollution; (4): Noise; (5): Resource exhaustion; (6): Human health; (7): Others
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Table 4. HUTECH environmental goals and targets
Environmen-
tal aspect
Environmental
goal
Environmental target
Completion
time
Hazardous
chemical gases
from labs
To reduce, collect
and treat chemical
gases
To ventilate labs in order to comply with the
labor sanitation standards, issued together with

the Minister of Health's Decision No.
3733/2002/QD-BYT ; To collect and treat
chemical gases from lab hoods in order to
comply with TCVN 5937:2005 (Air quality –
Ambient air quality standards) and TCVN
5938:2005 (Air quality – Maximum allowable
concentration of harzardous substances in
ambient air)
To Jun 2010
Wastewater
from labs
To collect and treat
labs wastewater
separately
To collect and treat labs wastewater in order to
comply with TCVN 5945:2005 (Industrial
water – Discharge standards)
To Jun 2010
Domestic solid
waste
To manage
domestic solid
waste
To classify domestic solid waste at source; To
build a hygienic waste transfer station on the
campus; To contract with the ―Rac Dan Lap‖ -
a local unit, for the collection of classified
waste
To Jun 2010
Hazardous

solid waste
from labs
To manage labs
hazardous solid
waste
To classify hazardous solid waste at source; To
contract with an unit in hazardous waste
treatment and disposal for the collection of
classified hazardous waste; To register
hazardous waste source at the Ho Chi Minh
City Department of Natural resources and
Environment
To Jun 2010
Environmental
education
To promote
environmental
education for the
whole campus
To add the subject ―Environment and Human‖
to the curriculum as a general course for other
majors; To incorporate sustainability into
research activities of lecturers and students; To
enhance communication activities on the
environmental topics
To Dec 2010
Proposal support solutions for the EMS at HUTECH
The following framework (Figure 2) is proposal integrated measures to support the EMS of
HUTECH.
Campus in

general
Environmen
tal
organizati
onal
structure
Support
solutions
Energy, water
and
materials
efficiency
Waste
management
and treatment
Environmen
tal
education
Environmen
tal
law
compliance
Domestic wastewater collection
and treatment
Domestic solid waste
management
Campus labs
Pollution prevention
and reduction
Exhaust collection and

treatment
Wastewater collection and
treatment
Solid waste
management
Laboratory
planning
Figure 2. Framework of the proposed support solutions for HUTECH EMS

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Energy, water and materials efficiency
Additional cleaner production sollutions should be carried out at HUTECH for energy, water
and materials saving:
+ Energy efficiency
- To replace old fluorescent bulbs with energy - saving bulbs.
- To install electronic ballasts.
- To take natural light by using glass widespreadly in building.
- To fit up thermal insulation system for roof.
- To install additional ventilation fans for some places, especially for labs.
- To use lights, fans, air conditioners, office equipment and laboratory equipment effectively (turn
off equipments when not in use).
- To maintain regular air conditioner maintenance.
- To comply with the Vietnamese construction regulation QCXDVN 09:2005 on "Energy efficient
construction‖ and related legal documents for new buildings.
+ Water efficiency
- To repair plumbing problems, to install new valves for preventing leakage.
- To set up water circulation for cooling equipments in labs.
+ Materials efficiency

- To save office stationery (to salvage used papers for printing, etc.).
- To manage lab chemicals in accordance with the programmed process in computer and in papers.
Waste management and treatment
For campus in general
+ Domestic wastewater collection and treatment
- To separate domestic wastewater collection system from rainwater collection system.
-To build a domestic wastewater treatment system to comply with QCVN 14:2008/BTNMT
(National technical regulation on domestic wastewater) before to discharge wastewater into the city
sewers or to reuse wastewater in toilet flushing, irrigation and fire fighting purposes.
+ Domestic solid waste management
Domestic solid waste generated from offices, classrooms and campus include surplus food,
carton, papers, package, can, leaves, etc and also a small amount of hazardous waste such as
batteries, fluorescent lights, medical waste, etc. Waste classification at source should be performed
by using four-compartment dustbins. Each partition is used for each type of waste, including papers,
package (nylon, plastic, glass, metal, etc), organic garbage and inorganic garbage. Organic waste
and inorganic waste will be collected by the local unit. Scrap papers and package for the purpose of
recycling and reusing will be sold to create revenue for environmental protection activities at
campus.
For campus labs
+ Pollution prevention and reduction
To eliminate or to reduce pollution at source is executed by using alternative chemicals with
less hazardousness and low toxicity, recovering, reusing chemicals such as solvents, precious
metals, etc.
+ Exhaust collection and treatment
Primary labs emission is a source of chemical vapor such as acid (HNO
3
, H
2
SO
4

, etc.),
solvent, etc from fume hoods. Laboratory should be installed one piping system to collect chemical
vapor from hoods to one treatment system based on the adsorption principle.
In addition, some gases such as SO
2
, NH
3
, produced from reactions as well as chemical vapor in
labs should be reduced by ceiling and wall ventilation fans and a following complete ventilation
system.
+ Wastewater collection and treatment
Labs wastewater could be classified into three main types, including experiment fluid
(wastewater generated in the process of experiment), tool washing wastewater and domestic
wastewater.
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- The experiment fluid often contains acids, bases with low concentration: H2SO4, HCl,
NaOH and metal ions: Fe, Al, Mg, Ca; organic compounds, inorganic salts.
- The tool washing wastewater contains only a small amount of chemicals, but many
detergents (surface-active substances) with relatively high flow.
Each type of labs wastewater has different characteristics and flow, therefore, to separate
them is required for following appropriate treatment measures.
The first step: To separate wastewater
- To prepare containers for experiment fluid: containers must be labelled, such as used for
what experiment, etc.
- To install another pipeline to separate tool washing wastewater from domestic wastewater.
The second step: To treat wastewater
- For experiment fluid: To contract one capable unit of treating this kind of fluid for periodly
collection.

- For washing wastewater: To build a wastewater treatment system on the campus, which is
based on treatment technologies for wastewater containing mercury, cyanide, fluoride, alkaline,
heavy metals, chromic acid, solvent, etc, for the compliance with TCVN 5945:2005 (Industrial
water – Discharge standards).
+ Solid waste management
Most solid waste from labs containing hazardous chemicals should be consequently classified
from domestic garbage as follows:
+ To use two types of dustbin in labs:
- The first is to contain domestic garbage, including food scraps, packaging of all kinds, etc
(waste classification at source on the whole campus).
- The second is to contain labs waste, such as absorbent papers, washcloth, bottles, glass
fragments, etc.
+ Domestic garbage is collected daily by the cleaning team while labs waste is stored in
specific tanks and then collected weekly by a contracted unit.
+ Laboratory planning
- To build one laboratory zone in campus reserved for all departments having labs.
- To establish one laboratory complex outsite the campus reserved for various universities.
Environmental education
- To organize training courses on the saving of resources (energy, water and materials), the
waste classification, the labs pollution preventing and reduction, and the EMS for the involved
subjects (staff and students - pupils).
- To organize symposia on these topic for researchers and lecturers, instead of the one-way
training form.
- To organize forums and workshops on the theme of environment and sustainable
development for students.
- To hold contests with content of the environment in such forms: drawing, writing, telling,
fun quizze, art, fashion, etc.
- To publish digests of the environment (internal circulation).
- To set up more environmental clubs.
- To set up volunteer teams for the environment, participating in waste management on the

campus and in other areas.
- To promote communication activities in order to raise the community awareness of
environmental protection with the participation of the whole campus: green summer campaign,
channels, rivers, streets, markets cleaning campaigns, etc.
Environmental law compliance
- To register hazardous waste source at the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural
resources and Environment.
- To comply with the law on environmental impact assessment, environmental protection
commitment and environmental protection project.
Kỷ yếu hội nghị Khoa học Môi trường và Công nghệ sinh học năm 2011
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- To construct environmental protection regulations of the university based on observance of
the national environmental protection law, the related decrees of the Government, etc.
- To construct standards on sanitariness and environmental protection of the university based
on the national standards, the national and local technical regulations.
Environmental organizational structure
- To arrange at least one employee or department responsible for environmental management.
- To set up one environmental management committee with the personnel from other
departments: medical department, materials and equipment department, environment and
biotechnology faculty and other specialized faculties. When an environmental problem appears at
university, the committee will create an effective coordination between departments.
- To establish an EMS and to be certified to ISO 14001.

CONCLUSIONS
This paper results in an ISO 14001 EMS orientation for HUTECH with several support
solutions and represents the first study about this topic in Ho Chi Minh City as well as in Vietnam.
The ISO 14001 standard is known with the purpose of prescribing and implementing environmental
goals, policies, and responsibilities, as well as regular auditing of its elements. It is an approach to
deal with environmental problems that give responsibility to a university to implement

environmental practices and regulations to ensure that environmental issues are managed
consistently and systematically. By the ISO 14001 EMS at university, many benefits will be
achieved concurrently. The first benefit is waste reduction and energy saving. The second is to
mobilize all the individuals in the university, from the management, staffs and all students to
participate in environmental management. The third is also very considerable, originated in the
social mission of the university. University is to train excellent human resource for society, to
connect research and practice together, to advance new inventor and relationship to change the
world. So, environmental media at university brings the most realistic effect. The further benefit is
that the university‗s image and reputation will be enhanced. This research aims to establish the
"green university" model in accordance with practical conditions of Vietnam. In summary, the
study can be a source of data for future researches on the object of university.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors acknowledge the support of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Vietnam in
providing data for the study.

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