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The Council for Sustainable Development will soon launch a consultation document as a basis for engaging the community in discussing issues with a bearing on Hong Kong's sustainability.

The Chief Secretary for Administration, and Chairman of the Council for Sustainable Development, Mr Donald Tsang, said today (June 14) that the launch of the document would mark the starting point of an engagement process, which would be a new type of consultation in Hong Kong.

"This document has been prepared by groups of stakeholders from different sectors of the community, coordinated by the council's strategy sub-committee," Mr Tsang said. "The Government's role has been to provide information and co-ordinate the drafting of the contents."

Mr Tsang added that the stakeholder groups would continue to play a key part in the consultation process. "We will rely on stakeholders to help us design and implement a process that will ensure that the Government can be responsive to the voices of the community," he added.

At the council meeting, the chairman of the strategy sub-committee, Dr Edgar Cheng, presented the draft "Invitation and Response" document that the sub-committee and the three support groups on the respective pilot areas began preparing in March this year.

"We will initially engage the community in discussing three of the policy areas that have relevance to Hong Kong's sustainability," Dr Cheng said. "The topics are: Solid Waste Management, Renewable Energy and Urban Living Space."

The council plans to issue the document in mid-July. Various events aimed at actively engaging the community will be organised throughout the four-month consultation period that will end in mid-November.

The council also discussed the work of the Education and Publicity Sub-committee, noting in particular the strong public response to the first round of applications to the Sustainable Development Fund.

"In view of the good response to the first funding round, the council has agreed to earmark additional resources for grants under the second round," Chairwoman of the Education and Publicity Sub-committee, Ms Christine Fang, said. "At the end of June, we will begin the second funding round by inviting applications for projects and activities that will enhance public understanding of the principles and practice of sustainable development," she added.

Ends/Monday, June 14, 2004

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