ÖKOPLAN WEIZ Environmental Management Concept of the Municipality of Weiz 1996 Contractor: Styrian Foundation for Popular Education - Environmental Partnership Customer: Austrian Institute for Ecology, Vienna Participants: Population and companies of Weiz Date of Publication: May 1996   1. Summary The Project "ÖKO PLAN WEIZ" placed high requirements on itself right from the beginning. Focusing on the "essential things", cross-functional elaboration of action, development of a dynamic - i. e. extendable - Environmental Management Concept and, last but not least, efforts to integrate as many people as possible document these claims. The "ÖKO PLAN WEIZ" is the product of a fruitful cooperation between municipal politicians, representatives of interests, employees of the Municipality of Weiz and active citizens. It will support municipal policy of Weiz in decisions and activities relating to environmental policy. 2. Starting Position Weiz itself is a city in Eastern Styria, an industrial site and has the structure of a medium-sized centre. The supply with heat is provided by "Ferngas Graz", "ELIN Weiz" and the "Pichler-Werke" (a private utility). Public transportation is offered by the "Steiermärkische Landesbahnen" (Styrian Provincial Railway Company), "Bundesbus" (Federal Bus Services) and some private bus companies. It was already before the "ÖKO PLAN WEIZ" that Weiz excelled by some environmental activities: the "Öko-Kataster" (Ecological Cadastral Map), the Envrionmental Label for all the schools of Weiz, projects for city renewal. In January 1994, the Municipal Council voted to join the Climate Alliance. A Regional Development Association, which was co-founded by the Municipality of Weiz, tries to utilise the synergetic opportunities offered by the region. A project relating to waste management, the "Pilotprojekt Entsorgung von Elektro- und Elektronikschrott" ("Pilot project for the disposal of electric and electronic scrap") was executed by the "Abfallwirtschaftsverband Weiz (Bezirk Weiz)" ("Waste Management Association Weiz (District of Weiz)") while considerably incorporating the population of the City of Weiz. 3. Goals The Project "ÖKO PLAN WEIZ" was aimed at elaborating a dynamic Environmental Management Concept. A large part of the population should take part. One of the most important goals of the Project "ÖKO PLAN WEIZ" consisted in elaborating a joint coordination and checking system for the administration, trade and industry and the citizens that was to ensure the success of the "ÖKO PLAN WEIZ".   This project was aimed at elaborating a graduated scheme that would gradually combine emission and waste prevention in companies as a cooperation project of communes and businesspersons with joint public relations by presenting awards to the companies participating and intensify the development of an integrated management system for in-company environmental protection and occupational safety. 4. Procedure In three study groups dealing with the topics:   Energy City development that is in line with the natural cycle In-company Environmental Management,   the action relating to environmental policy that would be regarded as being the function of the new Environmental Management Programme was jointly fixed by the population, businesspersons, representatives of interests, adminstrative officers and political representatives. In a next project step, the results of the study groups as well as ecologically relevant approaches elaborated by other initiatives were integrated into the "ÖKO PLAN WEIZ".   This created both a dynamic structure and the framework comprising all the pertinent environmental activities in Weiz. 5. Result / Benefits The "ÖKO PLAN WEIZ" will effectively support municipal policy on three levels of decisions and activities relating to environmental policy:   A "Koordinationsstelle Umwelt/Energie" ("Coordination Centre Environment/Energy") will collect ecologically relevant information and data, document experience and the results of the ongoing environmental activities and develop corresponding consultancy services. By being in systematic touch with contacts competent for environmental subsidising, planning targets can be better implemented and subsidies can be utilised optimally. The coordination of the annual goals and action, which is done by the cross-functional study group "ÖKO PLAN" in close cooperation with representatives of trade and industry and the population, is to guarantee that the action is scheduled optimally and is supported by the population. Coordinating the action saves money and time and convinces by the timely coordination of the single goals. Progress review is the key to the effectiveness of the municipal Environmental Management. Documenting and given an overview of the ongoing environmental activities taken in the Municipality devolve on the new coordination centre. In annual "Checkpoints", the Municipality will, based upon this documentation, deliberate on success achieved in the previous year in cooperation with the study group and elaborate and complete the Municipal Environmental Management Concept.