Dissemination Workshop: Enabling Low Carbon Living in Shek Kip Mei

Department of Public and Social Administration & Governance in Asia Research Centre

Enabling Low Carbon Living in Shek Kip Mei (ENLOCALI)

Dissemination Workshop

Weds 17^th April 15.30-19.30

Connie Fan Multimedia Conference Room, City University of Hong Kong

Idea Incubator

The use of carbon footprints – at city, community or individual level – highlight specific sectors through which forms of lower carbon living can be progressed. In Hong Kong, energy efficiency has been emphasised as a key mechanism for reducing the city's carbon footprint. Similar actions are also found at other scales with, for example, WWF highlighting and calculating carbon footprints as a way of promoting individual pro-environmental behaviour. In light of such approaches, it is thus essential to understand how a lower carbon lifestyle – namely a reduction in an individual or collective carbon footprint – might be enabled.

This project – Enabling Low Carbon Living in the Shek Kip Mei Estate (ENLOCALI) takes the WWF 2010 Hong Kong Ecological Footprint Report as its starting point. It provides a ‘test ground’ for faculty and students from the Environmental Policy major, Department of Public and Social Administration, to work in collaboration with the District Council and residents from the Shek Kip Mei neighborhood in Sham Shui Po District in order to:

·         Pursue a discovery-led, innovative project of local interest and impact in the field of environmental public policy and management

·         Demonstrate an understanding of the existing approaches, gaps in knowledge and implementation of low carbon living in localities

·         Raise social awareness of City U faculty and students and contribute to the quality of life of deprived communities through knowledge dissemination

·         Analyse basic research data in a systematic way

·         Exhibit ability to set ideas in a wider context, to sustain them, and to reach conclusions

Throughout 2012, faculty and students undertook visits and conducted questionnaires in households, shops and community buildings to assess current low carbon living practices, based on a ‘Discoverers’ Brief’, produced to guide investigations. This was followed by a stakeholder workshop where students presented their initial findings to residents.

More information about the project can be found at: http://enlocali.wordpress.com/

Workshop

This dissemination workshop has two key objectives:

·         To present the project findings and launch a ‘Residents’ Brief’ which will summarise actions that can be taken to enable a low carbon lifestyle. This will include case studies of low carbon living practices and suggestions of practical activities that can be undertaken in individual households and small commercial enterprises.

·         To reflect on the opportunities for low carbon living in Asia from academic and practitioner perspectives and open up discussion about the challenges of implementing low carbon living in practice.

Programme

15.30    Welcome (Dr Maria Francesch-Huidobro)

15.35    Introduction to Discover & Innovate @ CityU (Prof Christian Wagner, Associate Provost)

15.45    Overview of ENLOCALI Idea Incubator (Dr Maria Francesch-Huidobro)

16.00    Project findings and launch of Residents’ Brief (Dr Sara Fuller and students)

16.45    Response: Implementing low carbon living in Hong Kong (Ms Brenda Fung, Project Development Manager, World Green Organization)

17.15    Coffee

17.30    Discussion with Ms Brenda Fung (Project Development Manager, WGO) and Mr Nirath Perakath (Regional Head, Industry Team Construction Asia Pacific, BASF) (Moderator: Mr Robert Gibson)

18.00    Wrap up and Presentation of Certificates of Appreciation (Dr Maria Francesch-Huidobro and Dr Arthur Cheung)

18.15    Buffet Dinner for all participants at Connie Fan MMCR, City University

Registration

The workshop is a public event and is open to all.

Enquiries: Ms Rice Lee

Tel: 3442 6578

Email: ga@cityu.edu.hk

Please register via the website:

http://enlocali.wordpress.com/events/finalworkshop

Speakers

Brenda Fung

Project Development Manager, World Green Organisation

 

Brenda has more than nine years of experience with the built environment issues.  She has been involved in a number of building-related projects such as the Hong Kong Green Building Council’s project on the development of the Green School Guide for primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong and the Council for Sustainable Development’s Public Engagement Exercise on Building Design to Foster a Quality and Sustainable Built Environment.  She was also an assessor for the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence.  In addition, she oversaw all activities of the business-led initiative on harbour planning and development project - Harbour Business Forum (HBF). 

Nirath Perakath

Regional Head, Industry Team Construction Asia Pacific, BASF

Nirath has worked in various roles within BASF for over 15 years, mainly in the areas of marketing and business development. He holds a Bachelor degree in Economics and an M.B.A. He is currently engaged in bringing together the topics of business and sustainability within the Asian operation of BASF.

Project team

Principal Investigator

Dr. Maria Francesch-Huidobro, Department of Public and Social Administration

Co Investigator

Dr. Arthur Cheung, Department of Public and Social Administration

Co Investigator

Mr. J. Robert Gibson, School of Energy and Environment

Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Sara Fuller, Department of Public and Social Administration

Students

Clement Chan Wingwing Chan Winnie Chan Fat Cheng Janet Cheung Candy Choi Crystal Chung Ric Chung

Alice Lam Noddy Lam Tommy Lam Ka Chun Lau Edith Law Ryan Lo Calvie Man Ashley Tsang Tom Wong