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The Council for Sustainable Development is inviting applications from the community for grants under the Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) to undertake projects that will raise public awareness of sustainable development and promote sustainable practices in Hong Kong.
Chair of the Council's Education and Publicity Sub-committee (EPSC) Ms Christine Fang said today (June 8) the EPSC had suggested a number of areas that would receive particular consideration in the current round of applications.
"Priority will 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 promoting 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 approved a sustainability reporting project during the third round of applications, she said such practice should continue to be encouraged in the current round, adding that priority would be given to variations on encouraging sustainability reporting and measurement.
"SDF 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 sustainable development strategy process - 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 September 7, 2007. Enquiries can be made to the Sustainable Development Unit on 3150 8192 or by email to sdf@sdu.gov.hk.
A spokesman for the Sustainable Development Fund said about $10 million was earmarked annually for grants, and this would be the fifth round of applications since the fund was established in 2003.
In the first four rounds of application from 2003 to 2006, 18 projects were approved at a cost of $14.5 million. Of these, 10 focused on community involvement and four on capacity building. The remaining four concerned the publication of a magazine, the production of dramas and sustainability reporting.
"They have all contributed to raising public awareness of sustainable development in the local community," the spokesman said.
Among the newly approved projects under the fourth round of applications, Ms Chan Yuen Lai and Mr So Kwok Kin have been awarded a grant to produce a Green Map for Hong Kong.
"The project will adopt the globally-adopted Green Map System to produce the first Hong Kong Green Map through the identification of places and locations that are relevant to a sustainable city life, and the introduction of the natural and cultural resources of our city to the general public," the spokesman said.
Details of all approved projects and their progress are on the sustainable development website.
Ends/Friday, June 8, 2007
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