Committed to supporting Hong Kong towards carbon neutrality, HK Electric continues to expand its green education programmes to citizens of all ages. Following the launch of a new puppet show for the elderly and an activity book for young children to learn about decarbonisation, the Company recently joined hands with the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) to train local retirees to adopt and promote low-carbon living.
Being its third edition since 2018, this biennial "Smart Power Ambassador Training" programme took on the theme of "Decarbonisation – For All and By All" this year. About 40 retirees from the University of 3rd Age (U3A) and 55 "Happy Green Ambassadors" teamed up to receive training on various green topics and to share what they learnt with their own communities.
Speaking at the kick-off ceremony held earlier on, HK Electric's Operations Director, Mr. Francis Cheng, stressed that climate change had become more pressing than ever and saving the planet is a mission for all. "Apart from minimising environmental impacts of our operations, HK Electric has been encouraging more people of different ages to join this decarbonisation journey through different initiatives. And coming to this year's Smart Power Ambassador Training, we are happy to involve both the young and the senior to learn and work together in promoting green," he said.
The four half-day training sessions were supported by various government departments and green groups, including the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Environmental Protection Department, Green Earth, Green Power, Hong Kong Observatory and delegates from the 2041 Hong Kong Antarctica. Participants have become more knowledgeable about climate change, the effective use of resources, energy efficiency, waste reduction as well as geron-technology.
Ambassador trainees found the interactive and hands-on experiences of the programme most fruitful. They treasured the opportunity to try out geron-tech products and provide feedback to manufacturers. Many also enjoyed practice sessions such as the Eco-Enzyme Workshop conducted by Green Earth teaching them how to reduce and reuse waste in daily life. Others were inspired by eye-opening visits to Green@Community recycling stations and HK Electric's Smart Power Gallery prompting them to influence others to develop green habits.
Also beefing up their green knowledge and life planning experience are this year's "Happy Green Ambassadors" from 12 secondary schools. Like their senior counterparts, they will undergo diversified training on green power generation and low carbon living, as well as presentation skills to prepare them for hosting storytelling workshops for kindergarteners.
After completing their first phase training, the two groups of ambassadors will collaborate with a local environmental artist, Ms. Agnes Pang, to create an art piece by turning trash into treasure. The artwork will be put on public display in early 2023 to showcase the value of upcycling and promote saving resources for our planet.
The U3A project is supported by the HK Electric Centenary Trust and co-ordinated by the HKCSS, where elderly service agencies receive funding to run self-learning centres that provided courses conducted by the elderly for the elderly. Since its inception, more than 8,500 such courses have been organised, providing more than 142,000 learning opportunities for local retirees. For details of the U3A, visit https://www.hkcss.org.hk/u3a-2022-23/, or contact HKCSS at 2864 2951.
The Happy Green Campaign has been an anchor event under HK Electric's Education Fund, which aims at promoting energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy and a low carbon lifestyle among the younger generation as well as the general public. Over the past year, the Happy Green School Network has expanded to over 530 schools throughout the territory, reaching more than 80,000 people through various activities online and offline. For more information or joining the network, simply visit HK Electric's website, or call 3143 3727 for more details.