Mission To promote community environmental awareness through campaigns, publicity, education and action programmes, with a view to harnessing the community's support for, and contribution to achieving desired environmental goals, thereby securing a long term solution to environmental problems through development of an improved environmental ethic within the community.

	Community Relations Unit The Community Relations Unit is the main co-ordinator of the EPD's community programmes. It maintains links with a wide range of stakeholders, such as green groups, schools, community groups, private and public organisations and other government departments. It also acts as the Secretariat to the Environmental Campaign Committee, a government-appointed committee with members from within and outside government. In 2002 the unit organised more than 389 programmes, delivered 423 talks and worked with more than 2 500 organisations, including 12 District Councils. It also organised 114 guided tours of the EPD's Visitors Centre for over 2 800 local and overseas visitors.

One of the major successes of the EPD's community-based efforts has been in waste reduction. Hong Kong has a serious waste problem. Landfills are filling up much faster than expected and there is little time left to build replacement landfills, as described in the Waste chapter of this report. The problem requires immediate engineering solutions. But in the longer term, it also requires people to reduce their wasteloads.

Recycling Kid promotes waste recycling

	Celebrations Mrs Rita Lau, JP, Permanent Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works (Environment) (centre left), the Hon Choy So-yuk, Chairman of the Legislative Council's Environmental Affairs Panel (centre right), Mr Ronnie Wong, JP, Chairman of ECC (6th right), Mrs Peggy Lam, SBS, JP, Founder Chairman of ECC (5th right), Mr Robert Law, JP, Director of Environmental Protection (5th left), representatives from Environmental Protection Bureaux of the Pearl River Delta and other guests launched the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Festival 2002 Two major events are held each year to promote environmental awareness. World Environment Day is marked every June 5 with a special ceremony and related events. In 2002 the theme was co-ordinated for the first time with six other cities in the region - Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Zhongshan and Macau - to focus on "Green Community, Green Living". A reverse vending machine for aluminium cans and plastic bottles was launched. In addition, there were 128 workshop sessions, 11 game booths and a large-scale exhibition, and more than 21 000 people attended. The Hong Kong Environmental Protection Festival is held over several weeks at the end of each year. The opening ceremony in 2002 attracted more than 28 000 people and featured items made from waste, including a tree made from aluminium cans and paper and a sofa made from plastic bottles. There were also 96 workshop sessions and 17 game booths. A special feature over the past two years has been the close involvement of District Councils, which co-organised green activities at district level throughout the festival. The "Reverse Vending Machine - Gemini" hands out tokens when aluminium cans or plastic bottles are deposited for recycling Participants in World Environment Day 2002 activities learned about waste reduction

Environmental Protection Ambassadors from the Henderson Land Group included staff and residents

Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd. launched its Environmentally-Friendly Joint Action Programme 2002, with EPD

Environmental Protection Ambassadors for Property Management and housing estate residents visited the organic farm at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden

Officiating guests (from left to right) Mr Ronnie Wong, JP, Mrs Rita Fan, GBS, JP, Mrs Peggy Lam, SBS, JP, Mrs Winnie Wong and Mrs Winnie Yeung demonstrated how to use waste separation bins at the launch of the Waste Separation Scheme in Pre-schools

Youth leaders designed T-shirts with an environmental theme at the Environmental Leadership Summer Camp sponsored by MTRC

Mr M.J.Stokoe, JP, Acting Director of Environmental Protection with representatives from 10 winning primary schools at the "Schools Environmental Award Scheme" presentation ceremony

Hong Kong SEPAs visited the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific during an environmental protection study visit to Bangkok, with sponsorship from AEON JUSCO Education and Environment Fund

Mr Mahesh Pradhan of the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, who is the mentor of the SEAS cum SEPAs, visited Sha Tau Kok Central Primary School, winner of the School Honours Award under SEAS and First Runner-up of the First Hong Kong Green School Award	The Third Hong Kong Green School Award was launched
Winners of the ECC Shell Environmental Award for Tertiary and Vocational Institutes visited the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau	Winners of the "National Competition of Sculpture Design of Waste and Worn Articles by Primary School and Middle School Students 2002", which is jointly organised by the ECC, the State Environmental Protection Administration and Shell Hong Kong Limited met Student Environmental Protection Ambassadors of Hong Kong

The ECC also co-operates with outside organisations on green education programmes. Apart from the schemes mentioned above with the MTR Corporation and AEON JUSCO, the ECC Shell Environmental Awards Scheme honours tertiary and vocational students who organise green programmes on campus. In 2002 the 10 top students visited Shanghai on an environmental study visit. Another on-going collaboration has been formed with the Shell Hong Kong Limited and the State Environmental Protection Administration of China for five years. This joint effort aims to honour the environmental efforts of Mainland youths. In 2002 the focus was on organising the National Competition of Sculpture Design of Waste and Worn Articles by Primary School and Middle School Students. More than 600 000 students entered and the winners visited Hong Kong with their teachers and staff of the Environmental Protection Bureaux of their provinces.

	Clean Air Exhibitions EPD staff introduced the Respiratory Suspended Particulate sampler to officiating guests at the Clean Air Exhibition The Clean Air Exhibition was held in March 2002 to educate people about the government's initiatives on air pollution and to promote practices that contribute to clean air, such as eco-driving. More than 21 000 people attended the event, which featured more than 140 workshop sessions, games for children and 14 exhibition booths.

The success of the schools programme is being repeated in the rest of the community. Environmental Protection Ambassador schemes have been extended to property managers and housing estate residents, as mentioned above. They also involve Girl Guides, Scouts, Rotarians, Lions, Zontians, Junior Police Call members, the Boys Brigade and the elderly. Ambassadors are trained to train others in good green practices, thus bringing environmental programmes to a wider audience.

Winners of the Lions International Youth Exchange essay competition on Victoria Harbour lined up with judges and guests

The 2002/3 Environmental Protection Ambassador Schemes for Rotary, Zonta, Lions Clubs and Boys' Brigade were launched at the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Festival 2002

Another outreach programme is the Community Green Network, which started in late 2002. Representatives from the EPD visit housing estates in the evening and deliver talks to residents. A Green Desk is set up so people can drop by and ask questions. The Green Desk is also used during visits by the Mobile Environmental Resource Centre, which operates from a specially-equipped LPG van and travels to schools, housing estates and shopping centres. More than 50 000 people have passed through the resource centre since it was launched in September 2001 and there is a six-month waiting list for visits. Thousands of others have also visited the stationary Environmental Resource Centres in Wan Chai and Tsuen Wan. To promote environmental awareness among young people, the Wan Chai Environmental Resource Centre also organises the Environmental Summer Programme every year, which includes guided visits, training workshops and environmental games. In summer 2002, more than 1 000 children and youths participated in this programme.

The Wan Chai Environmental Resource Centre has an active programme for students

Students learned how to separate waste aboard the Mobile Environmental Resource Centre

	Environmental Education and Information Counter Schools and community groups can learn a great deal about green issues at Environmental Resource Centres and from visits and programmes organised by the EPD and the ECC. But they also want practical support in organising their own green activities. The EPD has sought to meet that demand with the Environmental Education and Information Counter. The counter opened in August 2002, on the second floor of Revenue Tower that is easily accessible to the public. Schools and community groups can borrow environmental display panels, games, leaflets, videos, CD-ROMs, and even pick up small amount of environmentally-friendly souvenirs for their activities. The service is free of charge. During its first five months of operation, the counter received several thousand enquiries, served more than 1 000 visitors and provided environmental education materials on loan to more than 200 organisations.

Grand and Gold Awards Winners of the 2002 Hong Kong Eco-Business Awards with officiating guests

Children participated in EPD's "eco-driving" game booth at the Clean Air and Environmental Protection Vehicle Carnival orgainsed by Wan Chai District Council

	Environment and Conservation Fund The Environment and Conservation Fund was set up by the government in 1994 to fund research, community and education work. It received an extra injection of $100 million in May 2002 to fund community-based waste recovery activities, educational, promotional and community involvement projects, and research and technology demonstration projects. In 2002, 113 Environmental Education and Community Action Projects applications were received by the Environmental Campaign Committee, 85 were approved and $2.26 million was handed out. Twenty-two Community Waste Recovery Project applications were also received and about $6.82 million was handed out.

	Highlights of 2002 • Provided $6.82 million to fund community-based projects in support of waste reduction. • Encouraged 1 200 public and private housing estates join the Waste Recycling Campaign in Housing Estates, up from 1 000 estates in 2001. • Launched the Waste Recycling Scheme for Pre-schools with sponsorship from the Zonta Club of the New Territories. • Trained over 6 000 stakeholders as Green Leaders through the Green Leader Programme and held 246 training workshops. • Launched the "Community Green Network Programme" to disseminate environmental information to the public. • Opened the Environmental Education and Information Counter to provide schools and community groups with materials for green activities. • Approved $2.26 million in grants for 85 Environmental Education and Community Action Projects under the Environment and Conservation Fund. • Jointly organised with Shell Hong Kong Limited and the State Environmental Protection Administration of China the National Competition of Sculpture Design of Waste and Worn Articles by Primany and Middle School Students, in which 600 000 Mainland youths participated.

	Looking Ahead • Open a new Environmental Resource Centre at Fanling in mid 2003. • Organise quality strategic community environmental education programmes to promote environmental protection to the public. • Continue to implement sustained public awareness and education programmes on waste reduction and recovery. • Continue to foster various Environmental Protection Ambassador Programmes for students, youth groups, community groups, the property management sector and professional associations. • Continue to produce environmental education materials for primary and secondary schools and pre-schools.