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The following is issued on behalf of the Council for Sustainable Development:
The Council for Sustainable Development (SDC) noted the progress of the preparations for the new round of engagement process, on fostering a quality and sustainable built environment, and discussed the initial draft invitation and response document and questionnaire at its meeting today (February 24).
Business Environment Council, Public Policy Research Institute of the Polytechnic University and Ketchum Newman Public Relations Ltd. have been commissioned as the Programme Director, Independent Reporting Agency and Public Relations (PR) Agency for the engagement exercise respectively. The Programme Director will help oversee the launch and overall conduct of the engagement exercise. The independent reporting agency will prepare a pamphlet/questionnaire and analyse the community feedback, and the PR agency will provide PR and event management services for the engagement exercise.
：Preparations for the council・s next round of engagement process, on measures to foster a quality and sustainable built environment, are underway. We look forward to receiving the views of all stakeholders and their active participation when the exercise is launched later this year,； SDC chairman Dr Edgar Cheng said.
At today・s meeting, the SDC was also updated on the programmes and initiatives undertaken by the SDC・s Education and Publicity Sub-Committee. Among other initiatives, the SDC noted that the first award scheme of the SD School Award Programme was satisfactorily completed last December while a prize presentation ceremony was held on February 21 to recognise the good work and efforts of the 33 award-winning schools for the first award scheme. Of the 33 schools, 11 have obtained the Gold award, 12 the Silver and 10 the Bronze. A ：Best of the Best； Award was also presented to one school which had achieved outstanding performance among the Gold Award winners. About 32,000 students, teachers, parents and members of the community have been involved.
The council launched the first round of the SD School Award Programme in 2007-2008 with aims to introduce the SD concept to students and encourage them to apply this concept in their daily lives and to spread the message to their families and within their communities. It also aims to create an SD network at the community level and build capacity for interested parties to organise and participate in public engagement processes or other SD-related events in the future.
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 afterwards.
Ends/Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:30
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