OREANDA-NEWS. December 04, 2014. The “Green Hong Kong Green” (GHKG) programme, jointly organised by HK Electric and The Conservancy Association (CA), has raised public awareness on eco-friendliness, and has deepened people’s understanding and appreciation of local eco-heritage resources.

Speaking at the second GHKG Eco-tour Festival held today (23 November 2014) at the Aberdeen Country Park, Managing Director of HK Electric, Mr. Wan Chi-tin said, “We are happy to see that the eight eco-heritage routes launched last year have attracted nearly 3,000 participants for some 200 tours organised.”

Today’s event attracted more than 1,000 people who took part in numerous activities that included 21 eco-heritage tours conducted to various parts of Hong Kong and Lamma Islands; a carnival featuring fun and educational games booths; hands-on workshops; puppet shows, talks and performances all aimed at promoting popular heritage sites and eco-treasures.

To better understand the effectiveness of the programme, HK Electric recently invited an independent consultant to conduct a social impact assessment.

Mr. Wan said that among the 265 eco-tour participants interviewed for the survey, the number of participants who said that they had good understanding of local eco-heritage resources rose from 30% to more than 60%. This showed that the eco-tour programme was effective in enhancing their knowledge of local ecology and heritage.

He explained that more than half of those surveyed pledged to make changes to their habits and lifestyles to better protect the environment. And 75% said they would be recommending the programme to others because of its educational value.

Mr. Wan said that the assessment results were a valuable reference and it was encouraging to note the positive educational contributions made by the programme.

“We have received suggestions from participants for a more integrated learning experience, and have therefore developed some ‘Eco Tips’ for each of the eight routes where the public can translate what they learn into daily green actions. We would also be providing further training and support to our eco-leaders and continue to enhance the quality of our eco-tours,” he added.

The Secretary for Food and Health, Dr. Ko Wing-man, who also attended today's ceremony, said that he appreciated the work done by the organisers and the achievements of the programme.

“Hong Kong people are busy at work, but they have become more health-conscious and are eager to take part in relaxing activities during their spare time,” said Dr. Ko. “The GHKG programme has provided the opportunities and also the necessary tools to bring our citizens closer to nature. It is particularly valuable in helping to improve people’s health physically and psychologically, while promoting public understanding.”

“It is always good to see that the Government, the business sector, NGOs and the community coming together to protect our environment and promote public health, which will help benefit the sustainability of Hong Kong,” Dr. Ko added.

Also officiating at the ceremony, Director of CA, Dr. Hung Wing-tat paid tribute to the eco-leaders, who have been contributing to the success of the programme by bringing out the right attitude for joining eco-tours.

“We hope the public can understand that we should preserve the sustainability of the environment while touring around so that our future generations can still appreciate the beauty of nature,” said Dr. Hung.

Under the GHKG programme, eight eco-heritage routes have been developed for Hong Kong and Lamma Islands with education panels installed enroute. Eco-maps and a “Green HK Green App” featuring the major characteristics and access information of the routes have been produced for free. More than 150 eco-leaders have been trained to conduct monthly tours. Interested parties can sign up with CA for the tours, or they can make use of the tools developed to plan their own tours. For details, simply download the “Green HK Green App”, browse CA’s website at www.cahk.org.hk or call 2728 6781.