ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITING IN THE PUBLIC-SECTOR - THE LANCASHIRE EXPERIENCE

Lancashire County Council was one of the first local authorities in the UK to audit the environment of its locality and to review the environmental impact of its operations. The paper outlines the reasons for this and how it has been put into effect. The management structure devised to carry forward and coordinate the initiative is outlined first, encompassing elements internal to the County Council and the establishment of a Lancashire Environment Forum. Secondly, the preparation of a county-wide state-of-the-environment audit is described, together with the implementation stages which have ensued. The paper is completed by an account of the County Council's internal review of the impact of its own activities.