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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
The Housing Authority will start the second phase of its long-term community environmental programme "Green Delight in Estates" to foster environmental awareness among public rental housing (PRH) tenants and promote waste separation at source in housing estates.
Officiating at a launch workshop today (October 27), the Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (Housing), Mr Thomas Chan Chun-yuen said the programme, first launched in August, 2005, had been effective in raising PRH tenants' awareness in environmental protection.
Findings from a Chinese University survey on PRH tenants' attitude on the subject indicated that those who had participated in the in-depth educational activities in the past 12 months were more proactive in living out a green life.
"Among those tenants, 72% considered themselves becoming more knowledgeable about environmental issues while the corresponding percentage for tenants from housing estates that had not taken part in the programme was only 67%," Mr. Chan said.
Partnering again with the Conservancy Association, Green Power and Friends of the Earth (HK), the authority will soon launch the second phase of the "Green Delight in Estates" programme. It will start off with a territory-wide recycling activity in all PRH estates to promote waste separation at source.
Like last year, each of the three green groups will also design in-depth education activities for a total of 30 selected housing estates to strengthen tenants' awareness in environmental protection.
At today's workshop, the three green groups briefed concerned estate staff and tenant representatives on the up-coming activities and shared with them their knowledge and experience in promoting environmental protection and green living.
Also officiating at today's event were the Chief Executive of the Conservancy Association, Ms Lister Cheung; the Chief Executive Officer of Green Power, Dr Man Chi-sum; and the Acting Director of Friends of the Earth (HK), Mr Edwin Lau.
Ends/Friday, October 27, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:28
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