Environment Hong Kong 2009
 
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Introduction | Cross-boundary and International Co-operation | Community Awareness | Customer Service and Partnerships | Environmental Assessment and Planning | Air | Noise | Waste | Water | Nature Conservation | Environmental Compliance | Energy | Sustainable Development
 
 

Chapter 3 Community Awareness

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 the development of an improved environmental ethic within the community.

EMPOWERING THE COMMUNITY

Highlights in 2008

THE job of raising community awareness about the environment is never done. As people gain a more sophisticated understanding of environmental issues, and as new generations arise, there is a continued need to keep educating people and improving our service. In 2008 we introduced two major initiatives that empower individuals and groups to take greener action and recognise outstanding efforts by the business community.

The Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF) offers community grants for conducting research, raising awareness or promoting action, and it received an additional $1 billion injection in 2008. This money will be used for waste recovery, energy efficiency and conservation, and minor works that help organisations improve their environmental performance.

Photo - Promoting waste reduction for a green Hong Kong.

We also consolidated various green awards for businesses and organisations into the new Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE), a sharper, high-profile award to recognise good environmental management. The first year of the HKAEE attracted more than 2 300 entries.

These initiatives were introduced at the same time that we opened new facilities (see below) and continued our schools programmes and regular publicity events. The nature of our efforts will continue to evolve, but it will be underpinned by a single goal: to increase community understanding and support for protecting the environment.

Environment and Conservation Fund

Many non-profit organisations and schools in Hong Kong are eager to help improve the environment, but they often lack the money to carry out their plans. The Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF) was set up in 1994 to fill that gap and has funded hundreds of research, educational, waste recovery and other projects in the community related to the environment and conservation. In early 2008 it received an extra $1 billion injection so it could fund more innovative, larger, longer-term projects.

One of the first priorities was to fund minor works projects, such as green roofs, renewable energy facilities and energy-saving items. These projects may seem small in the wider scale of environmental protection in Hong Kong, but they achieve two important things. They enable individual organisations or schools to reduce their environmental impacts, and they demonstrate to local residents that it is possible to make a green difference in their daily lives.

Photo - This set of solar panels, installed on the roof of a school, is an example of the minor works projects funded by the ECF.

In 2008, 100 minor works projects received a total of $30.73 million. Individual grants ranged from about $25,000 to more than $1 million for such things as a renewable energy education scheme in a primary school, an educational organic farm, a solar hot water system at a student hall in a special school, energy-saving equipment at a drug treatment and rehabilitation centre and green roofs and solar panels in numerous schools.

The ECF also earmarked $150 million to help building owners carry out energy and carbon audits, and $300 million to help them with energy efficiency installation projects. These will start to be funded in 2009.

The demand for greener buildings and energy is strong and growing. The additional funds in the ECF and the minor works projects mean that communities and individuals can make a difference from the grassroots up.

Photo - Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, organised the "Climate Friendly Greening" Workshop to promote the idea of "Greening Hong Kong Starts at Home" through teaching the public the skills in planting and green housekeeping tips.

Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence

Photo - Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence

Most businesses and organisations in Hong Kong are well aware of their environmental impacts, having been prodded over the years by pollution laws and a healthy movement within the business community to address environmental issues. In fact, many have done an admirable job in improving their green performance and applying innovation and dedication to the task.

Their efforts have been honoured over the years through three awards schemes, the Hong Kong Eco-business Awards, Hong Kong Energy Efficiency Awards and Wastewi$e Scheme. In 2008 these were merged into one scheme – the HKAEE – to sharpen attention on green management and raise the prestige of green efforts by companies and organisations.

The first HKAEE offered two ways to participate, the Environmental Labels and the Sectoral Awards. For the Environmental Labels, companies or organisations had to achieve a prescribed number of environmental goals. Two classes of label were awarded – the "Class of Good" or the "Class of Excellence" – and four types of labels were available: Wastewi$e, Energywi$e, IAQwi$e (for indoor air quality) and Productwi$e. The Environmental Labels generated a strong response and attracted more than 2 000 applications.

The Sectoral Awards were competitive and entrants were judged on their green leadership, programme and performance, as well as partner synergy. In 2008, 366 entrants competed in seven sectoral categories for Gold, Silver, Bronze and Small and Medium Enterprise Awards, and Certificates of Merit. The categories were:  Construction Industry; Financial Institutions; Hotels, Restaurants and Catering Companies; Property Management; Retailers; Transport and Logistics; and Public Sector and Non-Government Organisations.

One other point to note about the HKAEE is the broad support they received in the community. Eight business and community groups jointly organised the 2008 Awards with the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) and the Advisory Council on the Environment. The high level of involvement and high participation rate show businesses value the opportunity to display their green credentials.

Photo - Mr Edward YAU, Secretary for the Environment, officiates at the 2008 HKAEE Launching Ceremony.

Green facilities for the community

In addition to financial support and community programmes, we also take a bricks-and-mortar approach to promoting environmental awareness and action. Three Environmental Resource Centres (ERCs) have been set up in Wan Chai, Tsuen Wan and Fanling, where individuals and groups can drop in to get information about a huge range of local and global environmental issues. There is also a roving Mobile ERC that visits housing estates, shopping malls and other public places to promote EPD's work and advise people on how to live greener lives.

Photo - An EPD officer speaks to students during a Mobile ERC outreach visit.

Photo - The new Kennedy Town Environmental Exhibition Corner.

In 2008 we extended our outreach by adding two new facilities. The Lung Fu Shan Environmental Education Centre is set on the edge of a country park inside three graded historical buildings and is operated jointly by EPD and the University of Hong Kong. It is a unique partnership that taps into the knowledge base at the university on such things as climate change and ecology, while offering workshops, guided visits and other community programmes that EPD has developed over the years.

The Kennedy Town Environmental Exhibition Corner is an unmanned centre with display models, exhibitions panels, posters and a computer zone where people can access environmental games and information. Both centres received more than 5 000 visitors each during the year.

In fact, visits to all of our centres totalled more than 85 000 in 2008. People are becoming increasingly pro-active about informing themselves of environmental issues and how they can contribute to a greener future. While there is still a strong need for educational and awareness-raising programmes, we are rising to this newer challenge and enabling people and organisations to make a green mark in their community.

Looking Ahead

  • The first set of grants to help building owners carry out energy and carbon audits and install energy efficiency devices will be handed out under the Environment and Conservation Fund.
  • The 2009 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence will be expanded to offer three types of recognition: Environmental Labels, Sectoral Awards, and new Carbon"Less" Certificates to recognise carbon reduction efforts.
 
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