Many institutions separate environmental sustainability initiatives from legal compliance and environmental, health, and safety (EHS) services. At MIT, we take a comprehensive and integrated approach to all aspects of acting on our environmental commitment.

The Environmental Programs / EHS Headquarters Office (EP/EHO ) and its Managing Director for Environmental Programs, William Van Schalkwyk, participate in environmental policymaking and are responsible for the coordination of MIT-wide environmental initiatives, as well as for overall EHS management at MIT. This encompasses several areas, including regulatory compliance; MIT's EHS initiatives; and responsibility for the vision, strategic direction, and oversight of MIT's EHS service organization, the Environment, Health, and Safety Office (EHS Office).

By having one office and senior administrator (who report to the Executive Vice President and the Vice President of Research) responsible for environmental sustainability initiatives, service, and compliance, MIT is acting on our comprehensive commitment to leadership in EHS management.

The EHS Office, which reports to EP/EHO , is responsible for providing EHS services to departments, laboratories, and centers (DLCs); supporting initiatives established by the EP/EHO to protect the environment; fostering the health and safety of the MIT community and the public; and working to make MIT more environmentally sustainable. In addition, the EHS Office supports MIT's accountability for EHS legal compliance, and supports educational initiatives that provide a foundation of practical, regulatory, and "beyond compliance" knowledge for all constituents within the MIT community.

The overarching principles of the EP/EHO and EHS Office are:

• A belief that integrating EHS interests with education, research, and EHS initiatives and compliance will result in excellent EHS management
• A belief that promoting EHS initiatives results in environmental benefits that extend beyond those that can be achieved through baseline regulatory compliance, and helps make compliance less burdensome
• A commitment to respect MIT's entrepreneurial culture and the independence of research by achieving an appropriate balance of local and central EHS roles and responsibilities
• A commitment to serve the MIT community, and to incorporate EHS considerations in a way that supports MIT's achievements in research and education
• A commitment to provide accountability to MIT for the development of a more environmentally sustainable, healthier, and safer campus, and for EHS legal compliance.
• A commitment to promote EHS service excellence by fostering collaboration between MIT faculty, students, and administrators, and the practical application of EHS research to campus operations
• A commitment to maintain the highest standards of professional performance