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The Council for Sustainable Development is again inviting applications from groups and individuals for grants to undertake projects that will raise public awareness of sustainable development and promote sustainable practices in Hong Kong.
Ms Christine Fang, the Chair of the Council's Education and Publicity Sub-committee (EPSC), said today (May 31) that about $10 million was earmarked annually for grants from the Sustainable Development Fund, and that this would be the fourth round of applications since the fund was established in 2003.
Ms Fang said the sub-committee had suggested a number of areas that would receive particular consideration in the current round of applications.
"Priority would normally be given to promotional projects with a strong element of community involvement, and to projects that create a measurable impact on sustainable development in Hong Kong and a legacy for sustainable practices within the community," she said.
She added that projects that promoted capacity-building and collaboration across various sectors to raise public awareness of, and capacity to practise, sustainable development principles would also receive priority consideration.
Although the sub-committee had already approved a sustainability reporting project during the previous round of applications, it considered that such practice should continue to be encouraged in the current round. Priority would be given to variations on encouraging sustainability reporting and measurement.
"Sustainable Development Fund projects can focus on different subject areas, such as energy, transport and tourism. We also welcome projects that are relevant to the two priority areas taken forward by the Council for Sustainable Development in the second sustainable development strategy process, namely Population Policy and Better Air Quality," Ms Fang said.
Details of the suggested priority areas and application forms are available on the sustainable development website (www.susdev.gov.hk). Applicants are encouraged to submit applications online. The deadline for submitting applications is 5pm on August 31, 2006. Enquiries can be made to the Sustainable Development Unit on 3150 8192 or by email to sdf@sdu.gov.hk.
In the first three rounds of application from 2003 to 2005, 14 projects were approved at a cost of $12.55 million. Of these 14 projects, seven focus on community involvement and four on capacity building. The remaining three projects concern publication of a magazine, production of a musical drama and sustainability reporting.
The completed projects and those under way have contributed to raising public awareness of sustainable development in the local community. These include:
* The "Urban Green" project by the Aberdeen Kai-fong Welfare Association Social Service Centre;
* The "Action Model of Sustainable Development at Long Valley" project by the Conservancy Association; and
* The "Transforming Our Community Heritage" project by the Centre of Architectural Research for Education, Elderly, Environment and Excellence Ltd (CARE).
With support from relevant government bodies, the "Urban Green" Project has turned three vacant or trash-filled areas in Aberdeen, Ap Lei Chau and Wah Fu into community gardens in 2005 and 2006. These gardens were built by volunteers and local residents and serve as a platform for them to share gardening skills and knowledge, helping to build a community of harmony, friendship and integration.
The sustainable development project in Long Valley aims to protect and enhance the long-term ecological values of Long Valley, enhance capacity building and community cohesion in villages, promote the educational values of Long Valley, develop Long Valley into a popular ecotourism spot, and generate new job opportunities. The grantee of the project, the Conservancy Association, has organised activities such as ecological and heritage tours as well as the removal of the weed, "mikania", to enhance community cohesion and the environment in 2005 and 2006.
CARE's project running from June 2004 to July 2006 exemplifies cross-sectoral partnership involving schools, parents, community, professionals and the Government. Through an interactive and participatory process, the project provides an opportunity for interactive participation between school communities and professionals to develop creative design proposals for transforming our community heritage to meet the needs and aspirations of each individual district and the community at large. Students will also gain precious experience through the process and hence, develop a commitment to sustainable development and heritage preservation.
Among the newly approved projects under the third round of applications, the Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management of the University of Hong Kong has been awarded a grant from the Sustainable Development Fund to conduct a sustainability reporting project for Hong Kong.
The project, already started in May 2006, aims to derive a set of sustainability indicators tailor-made to suit Hong Kong and applicable at the district level through wide engagement of stakeholders. Public forums would also be held to solicit the assistance of various local stakeholders in identifying useful indicators to gauge the trajectory of sustainability development in Hong Kong and individual districts.
Details of all approved projects and their progress are on the sustainable development website.
Ends/Wednesday, May 31, 2006
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