Taipei City Government

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) held the 7th Taipei Environmental Education Awards award ceremony and achievement exhibition at the Taipei New Horizon Building inspired by the theme of Environmental Education Feast on October 24 to showcase the fruitful accomplishments in environmental education this year.

According to the DEP, this year’s environmental education awards saw fierce competition from different participants across 6 categories: government agencies, schools, private businesses, organizations, communities, and individuals. A total of 14 participants received the award, and 7 of them will be recommended to the Environmental Protection Administration to partake in the second round of reviews, making them contenders for the highest honor – 7th National Environmental Education Awards.

The DEP suggested that the award recipients have reached out to the communities from schools and vice versa, where people of all genders and ages are safeguarding the quality of the local environment by taking action. As the recipient of the award of excellence in the community category, residents from the Taipei City Nangang District Juru Community Development Association have proactively closed the river to public access for the sake of fish preservation. Furthermore, they have trained river patrol squads and little docents to ensure the sustainable development of the environment by starting environmental education at a young age.

The award of excellence in the school category went to Muzha Vocational High School, whose environmental groups and volunteers have tirelessly promoted environmental protection and education. It is not only the first water environment patrol squad composed entirely of youths in Taipei, but it is also the recipient of the DEP’s excellent environmental volunteer squad award this year (2019).

In the individual category, the award went to Chiu Ming-cheng, a teacher who exhibited outstanding leadership in encouraging children to care about their environment, and he also incorporated current environmental issues in his class in an effort to cultivate their environmental awareness and values, as well as the ability to resolve environmental problems.

Additionally, this year’s award winners have set several firsts in the country. The Taiwan Environmental Information Association, the recipient of the award of excellence in the group category, is the first online media body that specializes in the reporting of environmental issues. Since April 16, 2000, the organization has published the Environmental Information E-News to let more people become aware of environmental issues around them. The award of excellence in the private business category was given to HSBC Bank (Taiwan), the first enterprise in Taiwan to support the environmental restoration, conservation of Guandu Nature Park and related education programs over the past 16 years. The award of excellence in the government agency category went to Taipei City Government’s Department of Civil Servant Development, which is the first government agency in the nation to receive the environmental education facility/venue certification, and it has also developed the highest number of online courses in the country.

In addition to commending the recipients of the Taipei Environmental Education Awards, in order to promote environmental education in Taipei City, the DEP has made adjustments to the theme of Taipei City’s environmental education subsidy each year according to environmental issues and encourages private organizations to apply for the subsidy in order to advance environmental education together. In 2019, the number of private organizations receiving the subsidy amounted to 32, demonstrating the fruitful outcome of the diverse environmental education program. The subsidy recipients are invited to present their annual achievements by setting up stalls, while outstanding environmental education organizations including Taiwan Environmental Information Association, GVC Thanksgiving F，地價稅單 (需先繳清)oundation, and Community Empowering Society R.O.C were invited to share their practical experience and thoughts in promoting environmental education, so that they can interact with the participants, allowing them to learn from one another.

The DEP also thanked various organizations for their contributions and efforts in promoting environmental education. It is hoped that the event will consolidate environmental education resources in Taipei City and inspire more environmental education-related collaborations, thereby creating an environmentally friendly, livable, and sustainable city.