Environmental risk is an important part of any tertiary sustainability initiative; however few tertiary institutions tackle environmental risk management as a discrete corporate goal. In practice it means preventing pollution from entering the environment from all campus activities. Areas on most campuses that will already be involved in this include:

• Plumbers – providing both stormwater drains and sewage drains for each building,
• Occupational Health and Safety Units –establishing policies and procedures for chemical handling, storage and use,
• Head Technical Officers in science laboratories –providing facilities, training, and other services to chemical users,
• Food providers – producing several waste streams, in high quantities,
• Delivery drivers and waste service providers – transporting all sorts of new and waste materials throughout campuses, and
• Gardeners – using chemicals in the environment as fertilisers and possibly pesticides.

When campuses take a holistic approach to environmental risk management they can identify problems and solutions across all of these areas and take cost-effective action to reduce risk, prevent pollution, and ensure compliance with Environmental Protection and other relevant legislation.