This policy acknowledges the impact the ATO has on the environment and outlines our commitment to supporting the government by reducing our environmental footprint.
Summary of main points
- This policy enables the ATO to incorporate environmental considerations such as energy and water conservation and waste and resource management into business activities we control or influence within the context of achieving corporate business outcomes.
- All ATO employees are to demonstrate an individual commitment and responsibility to this policy and any associated environmental objectives and targets.
The ATO is the Australian Government's principal revenue collection agency and is part of the Treasurer's portfolio. Our role is to manage and shape tax, excise and superannuation systems that fund services for Australians.
We administer legislative systems that fund public goods and services, safeguard retirement incomes and give effect to social and economic policy. We administer the Australian Valuation Office and deliver community benefits such as family assistance. Most adult Australians have contact with us at least once a year, with multiple interactions and multiple roles for many individuals and businesses.
The ATO's environmental management policy is based on international and domestic legislation, policies and standards, including:
- Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
- Energy Efficiency in Government Operations (EEGO)
- AS/NZS ISO 14001:2004 Environmental management systems
- the Australian Government's National Waste Policy
- the Australian Government’s Sustainable Procurement Guide.
The ATO is committed to minimising and managing the impacts of its operations on the environment by:
- maintaining a comprehensive Environmental Management Plan which describes the scope of our environmental management activities, projects and key deliverables
- fostering a culture of environmental responsibility
- monitoring and reporting our performance with a focus on continuous improvement
- anticipating, identifying and addressing any significant impacts our activities may have on the environment
- reducing our carbon footprint and promoting sustainability
- providing workplace environmental training and education to all who work for us.
This policy:
- acknowledges the impact that the ATO has on the environment due to its population size, diverse locations, the resources it uses and consumes and its extensive interactions each year with individuals, businesses and other government agencies
- acknowledges that the community's confidence in the ATO's ability to manage the tax and super systems effectively, efficiently and ethically is influenced by its perception of the ATO's integrity. This policy demonstrates our commitment to acting with integrity about managing our impact on the environment
- enables the ATO to incorporate environmental considerations such as energy and water conservation and waste and resource management into business activities we control or influence within the context of achieving corporate business outcomes.
Statement
This policy statement outlines our commitment to reduce our environmental footprint through integrated environmental management principles.
The ATO Executive is committed to implementing this Environmental Policy Statement and is responsible for direction setting, decision making and reviewing reports on environmental performance.
All ATO employees are to demonstrate an individual commitment and responsibility to this policy and any associated environmental objectives and targets.
To deliver the intent of this policy, we commit to the following principles and practices:
- complying with all applicable legal and other requirements that relate to environmental management
- maintaining an environmental management system and integrating environmental management principles into our business plans and activities
- monitoring and managing the environmental effects of our activities to prevent pollution and continually improve our environmental performance
- raising awareness of, and commitment to, environmental management amongst employees and those working on behalf of the ATO
- reporting our performance against our environmental management targets through our annual report
- working collaboratively with other agencies through the Government Agency Environmental Network to deliver on our environmental commitments.