Environmental experts from the European Union shared their experiences, encouraging the development of environmental education in Macao

The Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) and the Law Reform & International Law Bureau (DSRJDI) of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region organized the workshop on "Introducing how the EU Countries Implement Environmental Education in the Education Act", which took place , on October 17, in Macao. Two environmental experts from the European Union (EU) were invited to share their valuable experiences on how EU countries have implemented environmental education through the Education Act and the curriculum standards on environmental education and the implementation of Eco-Schools. The workshop, which took place in the Lotus Room, 5th floor, of the World Trade Centre – Macao, was organized by the DSPA and the DSRJDI with the aim to strengthen the exchanges of information between Macao and the European Union on environmental education, taking at the same time, the opportunity to learn from their valuable experiences on environmental education field. Within the framework of the 2nd EU-Macao Co-operation Programme in the Legal Field, the workshop had as guest speakers Mr. Reiner Mathar, from Germany, and Ms. Anna Kristina Linusson, from Sweden, two environmental experts from the EU who shared their experiences on how the EU countries implemented environmental education in the Education Act and curriculum standards, its effectiveness, difficulties and the path to the development of implementation of Eco-Schools in the future. The workshop brought together several local institutions including government departments responsible for education, universities, teachers and students of higher education establishments, staff of educational institutions and environmental associations. In the workshop, the experts presented the origins of environmental education; the process of development; forms of presentation of environmental education elements under the education laws, demonstrated cases and characteristics of environmental education and management in Eco-Schools in some countries of the EU, ways on how to use education to promote the sustainable development and environmental protection and its vision for the future, which gave participants a perspective on the environmental education system and the trend of development in the EU countries. At the question-and-answer session, participants asked for clarification of the current situation and the trend of development of the environmental education in the EU. Some of the local experts in education shared their experiences in environmental education, which was followed by exchanges and discussions with the guest speakers. DSPA hopes that this initiative will promote the interactive exchange of ideas on environmental education, by deepening knowledge and understanding of the participants concerning the law on environmental education and Eco-Schools in different regions, in order to better promote the development of environmental education in Macao. The 2nd EU-Macao Co-operation Programme in the Legal Field, which comprises this workshop, has the "Consolidation of the Macao Legal System" as its main objective and will last until December 2013. The implementation of the Co-operation Programme is coordinated by the Law Reform & International Law Bureau and involves several other bodies and governmental departments of the Macao SAR.