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The following is issued on behalf of the Council for Sustainable Development:
Seven projects, including carbon emissions reduction initiatives to combat climate change, sustainability reporting and educational programmes on sustainable development, have been approved under the Sustainable Development Fund to promote public awareness and adoption of principles of sustainable development, the Chair of the Education and Publicity Sub-committee under the Council for Sustainable Development, Mrs Miranda Leung, said today (October 2).
These projects show a clear integration of the key sustainable development elements, including community and stakeholder involvement and other matters related to climate change and corporate social responsibility, in a balanced and practical way and will last from 12 to 24 months. The current round of applications was the eighth, with a total of 56 proposals received. A total of some $7.3 million was granted by the Fund in this round.
The seven approved projects are:
* "Enhancing the Role of the Travel Trade in Reducing Tourism's Carbon Footprint" by Dr Barry Mak and Professor Robert McKercher for a period of 12 months with a grant of $398,418.
* "Carbon Footprint Management at Home for Sustainable Low-Carbon Living" by the City University of Hong Kong for a period of 18 months with a grant of $1,001,200.
* "Hong Kong Platforms" by the University of Hong Kong for a period of 24 months with a grant of $1,323,679.
* "Enhancing the Low-Carbon Competitive Advantage Across the Manufacturing Sector of the Hong Kong Apparel Supply Chain Through Effective Carbon Disclosure and Carbon Emission Reduction" by the Clothing Industry Training Authority for a period of 18 months with a grant of $1,146,300.
* "Sustainable Building Index" by the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency for a period of 24 months with a grant of $897,500.
* "Moving the Construction Sector Towards Sustainable Development: Industry Engagement in Developing Corporate Sustainability Guidebook for SMEs in the Construction Sector in Hong Kong" by the Business Environment Council for a period of 18 months with a grant of $1,037,860.
* "Educating for a Sustainable Future - A New Senior Secondary On-line Education Resource Library Based on Real-Life Industry Experiences" by the Hong Kong Productivity Council for a period of 24 months with a grant of $1,484,364.
Details of the above newly approved projects, as well as other projects funded by the scheme, can be accessed on www.susdev.gov.hk.
"We believe that these projects will become models for wider dissemination of the sustainable development message and for creating a greater impact on the communities and industries concerned as well as the general public. This is an encouraging step forward in promoting sustainable development in Hong Kong," Mrs Leung said.
The $100 million Fund was set up in 2003 to support community initiatives for promoting the concept of sustainable development. A total of 45 projects have been approved for grants from the Fund involving a total amount of some $42.4 million. The Fund will accept the next round of applications in the last quarter of 2011. Applications from interested organisations and stakeholders as well as individuals are welcome.
Ends/Sunday, October 2, 2011
Issued at HKT 14:01
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