An Inclusive Sustainable Development Strategy for Hong Kong

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An Inclusive Sustainable Development Strategy for
Hong Kong

• Jonathan McKinley
• Assistant Director of Administration
• (Sustainable Development)2
• 26 November 2003

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Government Approach to Sustainable Development
1999 Policy Address Quality People, Quality
Home

• Government to observe principles of sustainable
  development in planning and policy making
• Enhance public awareness of the need for a
  sustainable approach

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Establishment of Sustainable Development Unit

• SDU established in April 2001
• 7 full-time officers, increasing to 10 by 2003,
  headed by Deputy Director for Administration
• Placed within Office of the Chief Secretary for
  Administration

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Functions of SDU

• Sustainability Assessments

• Introduction of CASET tool
• April 2002 requirement for all Policy Committee
  and ExCo submissions to have Sustainability
  Assessments
• Completion of over 300 assessments to date

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Functions of SDU
(2) Raising Public Awareness -

• Appointment of Council for Sustainable
  Development in March 2003 under Chairmanship of
  Chief Secretary
• Decision to proceed with formulating Sustainable
  Development Strategy
• Support for community led projects

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Council for SD Terms of Reference

• Advise on priority areas in promoting sustainable
  development
• Advise on a Sustainable Development Strategy
• Facilitate community participation in promoting
  Sustainable Development
• Promote public awareness in partnership with
  stakeholders

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Raising Public Awareness

• Lack of general understanding of the concept of
  sustainable development
• SDUs education and publicity programme
  involvement of non-government groups
• September 2003 establishment of the 100 million
  Sustainable Development Fund

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A Sustainable Development Strategy

• What is the purpose of an SD strategy?
• Why does Hong Kong need such a strategy?
• How do we go about building a strategy?

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Purpose of a Sustainable Development Strategy

• 1992 Rio Earth Summit and Agenda 21 Each
  local authority should enter into a dialogue with
  its citizens, local organisations and private
  enterprises
• 2002 World Summit and Johannesburg Plan of
  Implementation

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Some Overseas Examples
(1) Germany

• Sustainability at the core of government policies
  and projects
• Identification of 8 Key Focus Areas energy,
  transport, agriculture, population, education,
  innovation, land use, international aid

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Some Overseas Examples
(2) Malaysia

• Tracks progress in all policy areas using
  indicators
• Conducts public opinion surveys on attitudes
  towards quality of life

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Some Overseas Examples
(3) Norway

• Ensures that all plans, decisions and measures
  lead to sustainable development
• High-level commitments and targets for action in
  key areas

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UNDP and OECD Guidance
Building an SD strategy involves

• Developing a vision for the future
• Defining how we will achieve the vision
• Setting out specific objectives that will help us
  achieve the vision

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What is a Sustainable DevelopmentStrategy?

• More than just a plan rather, a detailed guide
  to how we want to improve our society
• Focus on processes of
• 1) taking collective responsibility
• 2) promoting open and inclusive dialogue
• 3) emphasising outcomes

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Why do we need an SD Strategy?

• The process of strategy formulation will help to
  focus stakeholders on the task of building a
  sustainable society
• Encourage participation and contributions from
  all sectors of community not just relying on
  Government and big business
• Know where we want to go and agree on how to get
  there

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How to build the Sustainable Development
Strategy?

• Leadership of Council for Sustainable Development
• Importance of involving stakeholders from an
  early stage, to create ownership
• Focus on the engagement process as a start to
  building an effective strategy

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Three-stage Engagement Process
(1) Identification of Priority Areas

• Issues important to Hong Kongs sustainability
  broad issues (public health, transport) or
  narrower concerns (waste management, recreational
  facilities)
• Council to take initial lead in advising on PA
• In future, community stakeholders to play greater
  role in selecting issues

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Three-stage Engagement Process
(2) Presentation of Information

• Environmental, social and economic aspects
• Various scenarios or options for public
  consideration
• Appointment of Strategy Support Groups as
  stewards for this stage of the process

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Three-stage Engagement Process
(3) Consolidation of Views-Preparation of
Strategy

• Strategy Support Groups present findings to
  Council for Sustainable Development
• Proposals for targets and strategic goals in
  Priority Areas concerned
• Longer-term objectives and interim targets

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Current State of Play
First stakeholder workshop held on 8 November.

• Feedback
• Measured approach needed choose relatively
  straightforward Priority Areas at first
• Engage the young generation fully in the strategy
  building process

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You can Play a Part in this Process www.susdev.go
v.hk jonathan_mckinley_at_sdu.gov.hk