Institute for Sustainable Communities Signs Partnership Agreement with Nanjing University to Launch Environmental, Health, and Safety Academy Jiangsu

[March 18th, 2011 Jiangsu]

Today, Mel Rice, Director of Party of the U.S.-China Partnership for Climate Action (PCA) signed the agreement to establish the Nanjing University ISC Environment, Health, and Safety Academy at the Low Carbon and Green Innovation Project Launching Ceremony at the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP). Leaders from Jiangsu Provincial Government and Suzhou Municipal Government, including Mr. Jiang Hongkun, Party Secretary of Suzhou Municipal CCP Committee, Mr. HONG Yinxing, Party Secretary of Nanjing University, Mr. Chen Mengmeng, Director of Jiangsu Provincial Environmental Protection Department, and Mr. Ma Minglong, Secretary of SIP Working Committee, attended the launching ceremony. ISC's China Country Representative, Ms. Zhang Ye, representatives from General Electric Company (GE), Alcoa and other funding entities were also present for this historic event.

Nanjing University ISC Environment, Health and Safety Academy (EHSA Jiangsu) is jointly established by the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) and the School of Environment, Nanjing University. The EHS Academy is dedicated to the cause of training qualified and professional Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Managers to build the capacity of Chinese industries and manufacturers.

EHS has become an important aspect of measuring an industry's sustainability, and many multi-national corporations (MNC) are already using EHS as an indicator in evaluating their suppliers' performance. The establishment of the EHS Academy is aimed at providing these small-medium enterprises (SME) within the supply chain the technical knowledge and management methods to tackle these EHS challenges. The Academy gives its students the opportunity to learn the best EHS management techniques as practice by world's EHS leaders. Students are also able to learn about the laws and regulations of environment, health, or safety and how to best achieve and exceed those standards. The Academy also offers classes on how to reduce workplace accidents and occupational hazards as well as classes on how to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The EHS Academy is an example of how to create win-win situations for the environment and the economy. Strong and effective EHS management can reduce cost and improve work standards whilst benefiting the environment.

The EHS Academy program began back in 2008. In partnership with Lingnan College of Sun-Yat-San University, ISC launched the first EHS Academy in Guangdong province. With funding support from USAID, GE, Alcoa Foundation, Wal-Mart, and various other MNCs, the EHS Academy Guangdong hired a team of expert staff members, produced world-class training materials, and provided professional training at very competitive prices. Over the past years, the EHS Academy (Guangdong) has trained over 3,500 individuals from MNC and its supply chain. The EHS Academy (Guangdong) has greatly increased the capacity of EHS managers in the Pearl River Delta region, and its success has received praised from all sectors, including provincial governments, MNCs, and SME industries.

Responding to the increasing needs for EHS training and capacity building, ISC has partnered with Nanjing University to launch the second EHS Academy in Suzhou. With the successful experience of establish the EHS Academy Guangdong, ISC intend to further develop and spread EHS knowledge and expertise to the Yangtze River Delta region. The Nanjing University ISC EHS Academy will be located in the Suzhou Industrial Park, which will be easily accessible to many major cities in the Yangtze River Delta region. The EHS Academy Jiangsu will officially open in May of this year. In addition to promoting EHS and energy efficiency courses, the EHS Academy Jiangsu will also host workshops and conferences aimed at building a platform to share best practices in the Jiangsu region.

Over the past 20 years, ISC has worked with industries, local communities, governments, and academic institutions on climate change mitigation and sustainable development through capacity building and best practice sharing. In the same light, ISC hopes to use the EHS Academy as a vehicle to create a new class of EHS mangers that will integrate management systems in way that will to manage EHS, resource efficiency & reuse, and low carbon practices altogether.

Since 1/1/2011, you are the 899 visitor!