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The Council for Sustainable Development will launch a new Invitation and Response document to engage the public and invite their views on ways to improve air quality.
The Chief Secretary for Administration and Chairman of the Council, Mr Rafael Hui, said after the council's meeting today (May 11) that a series of public involvement events on Better Air Quality would follow the launching event to be held at the Hong Kong Jockey Club (Happy Valley) Forecourt on June 2.
When publishing its Report on Better Air Quality last November, the council decided that the following three issues should be made the focus of a new engagement exercise:
(a) appropriate actions on high air pollution days;
(b) energy saving or demand side management; and
(c) congestion charging mechanisms such as electronic road pricing.
At today's meeting, the council also considered the draft report on the engagement findings of the Population Policy, another of its priority areas for public engagement.
The council was told that more than 1,700 people attended the series of engagement events on population policy, including workshops and forums. While about 20,000 people had visited the roving exhibitions in 10 public locations, some 3,000 responses including written comments were received. The council plans to submit its report to the Government and release it for public information next month.
At the meeting, the council also noted that four applications were approved during the fourth round of applications to the Sustainable Development Fund, involving around $1.2 million.
While the council will launch the fifth round of applications next month, its Education and Publicity Sub-committee will continue with its efforts on the outreach programmes in the community and schools.
Set up in 2003 to support community initiatives for promoting the concept of sustainable development, the Fund welcomes applications from non-government and community organisations as well as individuals to carry out practical projects and educational programmes that help raise public awareness of the principles of sustainable development and encourage sustainable practices.
In addition, the council noted the implementation progress of the First Sustainable Development Strategy for Hong Kong. While the overall achievement towards sustainability required concerted efforts of all sectors of the community, the Government had also played its part in working towards the strategic objectives, targets and plan of action set out in the first strategy devised in May, 2005.
The agenda and discussion papers for today's meeting will be posted on the website www.susdev.gov.hk. The digest of discussion at the meeting will be posted shortly afterwards.
Ends/Friday, May 11, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:52
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