Environment Policy

The Özyeğin University Çekmeköy Campus Facilities, in line with its mission and principles, encourages all its faculty, staff, students, visitors, on-campus businesses/lessees, neighbors, affiliated subcontractors, and suppliers to take the necessary actions, meet the necessary requirements, and provide all of the necessary means and resources in order to protect the environment.  

In all of its activities, Özyeğin University strives to carefully evaluate any potential environmental hazards to reduce environmental risks to acceptable levels, and satisfy the requirements of internal and external authorities to this end.  Likewise, Özyeğin University guarantees that it will protect the environment, help reduce environmental pollution, increase energy efficiency, comply with the effective legislations, satisfy the compliance requirements, and continuously improve its environment management system to increase its environmental protection performance. 

Sustainable resource use for environmental protection entails recycling, putting emphasis on the quality of water and air, minimizing climate change, and the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems.  

Özyeğin University senior management guarantees that they will duly fulfill all of its commitments, take the lead for the Environmental Management System, and ensure quality assurance for all of these processes. 

Environmental Protection and Risk Management 

Özyeğin University factors in environmental criteria when making investment decisions. Due caution and care are taken against the potential environmental impact of all activities. 

The Özyeğin University campus houses green and sustainable buildings. The University also makes sure that all its new buildings are environmentally friendly. 

Environmental hazards are identified, starting from the planning stages to the completion of all facilities, new construction projects, academic activities, or any events in which Özyeğin University is involved. 

Any precautions needed in the identification and minimization of environmental hazards and risks are planned in compliance with the effective laws and legislations. 

Reactive, proactive, and preventive approaches are adopted to minimize the risks. Visitors, students, faculty, staff, and subcontractors constitute the key stakeholders of the risk identification and analysis process. 

In an effort to effectively identify environmental hazards, communication channels will be created to notify all of the stakeholders of any close calls or incidents as well as any potential threats. 

In selecting materials, equipment, and systems, more environmentally friendly options will be preferred. Necessary precautions will be taken against any spills and leaks that may occur during the transportation, storage, and use of materials that may have negative environmental effects.  

Third parties (neighbors, the public etc.) that may be affected from our operations will be informed about potential threats, if any, and the precautions taken against such threats. 

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS 

The environmental management system must be designed in a way to ensure that it is adopted by students, faculty and staff, and made an integral part of their lives. Therefore, Özyeğin University sees environmental awareness as a key element of its organizational culture. Hence, it is the primary responsibility of all academic and administrative directors to create and develop a mutual understanding, as well as shared beliefs, habits, and values pertaining to environmental awareness among all stakeholders. 

Environmental awareness of Özyeğin University entails ensuring and encouraging all stakeholders to safely share and exchange environmental knowledge, effectively distinguish acceptable behavior from unacceptable, always question and target for excellence, and take personal responsibility and accountability for all their actions. 

Özyeğin University promotes and supports organizing training programs, seminars, events, and other similar  activities to increase environmental awareness. 

Waste Management 

Özyeğin University endeavors to minimize, reuse and /or recycle any potential waste in order to prevent environmental pollution. 

In selecting materials, systems, and methods, careful attention is paid to the selection of more energy efficient options in order to reduce waste at the source, and minimize waste or loss. Waste is minimized, reused, recycled, and disposed of in accordance with the effective laws and legislations. Technological developments are closely monitored to identify the best methods for waste management.  

Hazardous waste which may arise from the construction of new buildings as well as the University’s academic and administrative activities are identified, collected, transported, and disposed of using the most convenient methods, without causing any harm to human health and the environment.  All waste which results from academic and administrative operations in the University’s facilities is sorted and properly disposed of. 

All students, subcontractors, on-campus businesses/lessees, affiliated subcontractors and suppliers, as well as faculty and staff are informed about the University’s efforts towards environmental protection and waste management, and are encouraged to effectively assume their own share of environmental responsibility. 

Energy Efficiency (Efficiency of Natural Resources) 

Energy efficiency at Özyeğin University must be maintained based on an energy management system in which all administrative decisions and end user behavior are well-planned and continuously monitored with a robust and well-organized facility infrastructure. Priority must be given to renewable energy resources.  Özyeğin University students, faculty and staff will actively contribute to energy efficiency by appropriate actions such as closing the doors, and turning off the lights, while the University will also capitalize on passive methods such as using energy efficient equipment, lighting, facilities, and infrastructure. 

Sustainability 

The University’s environmental management system must be sustainable. The system must be designed in a way that will be easily adopted by students, faculty, and staff, and be an integral part of their lives. Therefore, it will be ensured that the environmental management system is rational and practical, continuously evolving and developing to incorporate the latest global and technological developments.  

Communication and Awareness Management 

Özyeğin University builds the necessary organizational structure to share the environmental impact of its activities and the University’s management of this impact with its stakeholders to obtain their views and feedback. This organizational structure entails notification of the relevant parties and taking the necessary actions based on the feedbacks received.  

Özyeğin University also offers training to all students, faculty, staff, subcontractors, and on-campus businesses/lessees in order to raise their awareness about their share of roles and responsibilities in ensuring the effective implementation of the environmental management system.  

Moreover, students, faculty and staff also closely follow technological developments about environmental protection, preservation of biodiversity, reduction of environmental pollution, energy efficiency, and sustainability, and endeavor to raise the public’s awareness through campaigns, events, posters and brochures. 

Change Management 

Prior to implementing any changes that might affect the current processes and services, Özyeğin University will take the necessary actions to consider their environmental performance. University will set out and implement a list of rules to review or replace, or terminate any risk controls that are no longer needed or that have become ineffective due to any changes to its operation, location and activities. 

Monitoring and Improvement of Environmental Performance 

Özyeğin University develops and monitors its key performance indicators to keep track of and improve the environmental impacts of its processes and the performance of its environmental management system, and thus aims to improve its environmental performance. To that end, careful attention is paid to select objective and guiding indicators. 

Reviews and Audits 

Compliance with the rules in place is systematically reviewed and audited. Such reviews and audits are conducted by the authorized staff, and the results are objectively recorded and evaluated. Following the reviews and audits, the necessary actions are taken with due diligence to resolve any identified issues or to achieve the set goals.