ECC commends green campuses (with photos)
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The Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) today (September 29) held a presentation ceremony for winning schools under the 15th Hong Kong Green School Award (HKGSA) to recognise their dedicated efforts in environmental protection and promotion of "use less, waste less" among stakeholders. This year, 56 schools received the Green School Award, while 10 schools won the Waste Less School Award (see Annex for the list of awardees).
Officiating at the ceremony, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, said that climate change is closely related to our daily life. He called on the community to adopt a low-carbon living culture and encouraged schools to continue their efforts in promoting the practice of "use less, waste less" to nurture environmental awareness among students.
The ECC Chairman, Mr Lam Chiu-ying, commended the winning schools for attaching great importance to environmental protection, and putting principle into practice by incorporating various green messages into the curriculum, thus encouraging students to take action to protect the environment and care for nature.
For the primary and secondary school categories of the HKGSA, the schools underwent assessments according to four criteria, namely Environmental Policy and Campus Environment, Environmental Management Measures, Environmental Education Plan and Implementation, and Environmental Education Effectiveness. After verification of the scores, schools meeting the benchmark scores in the relevant assessment criteria were presented with the Green School Gold, Silver or Bronze Award. Among a total of 184 entries this year, eight primary schools and seven secondary schools received the Gold Award, nine primary schools and five secondary schools received the Silver Award, and five primary schools and 11 secondary schools received the Bronze Award. Schools receiving the Hong Kong Green School title were invited to compete in the schools sector of the 2017 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence.
In the pre-school category, assessment was made according to four criteria, namely Environmental Infrastructure, Environmental Management, Environmental Education, and Parents' Participation in Environmental Activities. This year, 11 award-winning pre-schools out of 44 entries were presented with cash prizes ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.
Launched in 2000, the HKGSA has since attracted the participation of more than 840 schools. The scheme, sponsored by the Environment and Conservation Fund, aims to encourage schools to formulate a school environmental policy and implement an environmental management plan. The scheme also aims to enhance environmental awareness, help to develop an environment-friendly attitude and promote green practices among school managers, teachers, non-teaching staff, students and their families.
For details about the HKGSA, please visit the ECC's Schools Go Green website at school.ecc.org.hk.
The 15th HKGSA presentation ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre today. In addition to Mr Wong and Mr Lam, other officiating guests were the Permanent Secretary for the Environment/Director of Environmental Protection, Mr Donald Tong; Deputy Secretary for Education Mrs Hong Chan Tsui-wah; the Convenor of the ECC Education Working Group, Ms Sylvia Chan; and Deputy Director of Environmental Protection Mr Elvis Au. Representatives from the co-organisers, namely the Education University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Productivity Council and the Vocational Training Council, also joined the event.
Ends/Friday, September 29, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:40
Issued at HKT 16:40
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