Important steps: The Council for Sustainable Development's Christine Fang says the initial award of grants from the Sustainable Development Fund for eight projects marks an important step in promoting the concept in Hong Kong.

The initial award of grants from the Sustainable Development Fund for eight projects marks an important step in promoting the concept in Hong Kong, the Council for Sustainable Development's Christine Fang says, adding that some 300,000 people are expected to benefit directly or indirectly from the projects.

Ms Fang said the selected projects demonstrate how to integrate the key aspects of sustainable development - social progress, environmental awareness and economic development - in a practical way.

Targeted at young people and the local community, they are educational, promotional and training in nature. They will last 12 to 36 months, the Education & Publicity Sub-committee Chairman said.

8 projects selected

The eight selected projects are:

* Education for Sustainable Development in Primary Schools by the Chinese University; Grants: $663,500 over a period of 20 months;

* Building an Environmentally Sustainable Society from a Green Network to a Sustainable Community by the Baptist Wing Lung Secondary School; Grants: $466,400 over a period of 14 months;

* Urban Green by the Aberdeen Kai-fong Welfare Association Social Service Centre; Grants: $1,378,070 over a period of 36 months;
* Project S+E+E by Patsy Cheng, Carol Kwok and Veronica Luk; Grants: $232,490 over a period of 12 months;

* Sustainable Wan Chai Community Development 21 by St. James' Settlement Community Development Service; Grants: $1,306,900 over a period of 36 months;

* The Public Policy Innovation Competition: Strategies for Sustainable Development in HK by the Federation of Youth Groups and Policy Research Institute Ltd.; Grants: $897,600 over a period of 34 months;

* Transforming Our Community Heritage - Schools, Parents, Community, Professionals & Government Partnership in Enhancing Sustainable Development of Our Community Heritage by CARE;  Grants: $1,285,555 over a period of 27 months; and,

* Green Culture Island - Peng Chau by the Green Peng Chau Association; Grants: $1,522,170 over a period of 30 months .

Training offered to primary schools

The Education for Sustainable Development in Primary Schools Project will provide training to 25 primary schools. A website for teachers to design and implement their own school-based environmental education curriculum will also be established.

The Baptist Wing Lung Secondary School's project will provide training to Tuen Mun primary school students to enable them to become campaign leaders. The organiser will also set up a green network for schools. A life and environmental education centre will also be established.

Turning Aberdeen into a 'garden' community

The major feature of the Aberdeen Kai-fong Welfare Association Social Service Centre's project is to turn trash-filled lots or open spaces into gardens. The organiser plans to turn Aberdeen into a "Community in the Garden".

Project S+E+E aims to promote the concept of sustainable development through a quarterly lifestyle publication and a website. The publication, which is free of charge, will feature hot topics on the concept while the website will provide a platform for experience sharing.

St. James' Settlement Community Development Service will launch a strategic capacity building programme in Wan Chai. It will also promote cultural tourism and social entrepreneurship in the community and set up concern groups to study heritage preservation and community recycling issues.

Project to promote a 'green' Peng Chau

Tailor-made for Peng Chau, the Green Culture Island Project features initiatives like ecotourism, organic farming and a green marketplace, and advocates waste reduction, use of renewable energy, green consumerism and a green lifestyle.

The Public Policy Innovation Competition Project aims to give young people a platform to study how to carry out the sustainable development principles in various policies. The winning teams will organise community education programmes to promote the idea in their respective schools and communities.

Transforming Our Community Heritage will provide an opportunity for students to develop creative design proposals for transforming historical buildings and sites into economically and socially sustainable entities for the community.

Recipients to submit progress reports

To ensure the project objectives are achieved and the grants are spent according to the terms of the funding approval, grant recipients will have to submit updated progress and financial reports. Evaluation reports should also be submitted at the conclusion of the projects.

The fund will be open for a second round of applications next month, and interested organisations and individuals are welcome to apply.