FedEx and Jane Goodall Institute Sow Seeds Of Green Living in Primary Schools

Around 200 students from four primary schools in Hong Kong are leading lifestyles with lower-carbon dioxide emissions and raising eco-awareness in their communities through an innovative education initiative, the “FedEx We Deliver Green! Classroom” program.

Developed by FedEx Express (FedEx) and the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), the program aims to engage primary school students to not only learn about the environment but to take direct action to help protect it, by developing ways to reduce pollution through changes in day-to-day behaviors, including more environmentally-conscious choices in their selection of food.

Students ages 10 to 12 from four Hong Kong primary schools are participating in the program under the guidance of their teachers, volunteers from FedEx and the staff of JGI. Over the nine-month program, the students studied a series of FedEx-developed classroom tutorials and participated in practical exercises to understand the origins of food, global trade, and the impact of modernization on the environment.

As a hands-on element of the program, students and volunteers also established and are maintaining organic vegetable gardens to ‘greenify’ their school grounds, inspire a passion for cultivating green spaces and learn to grow their own crops. The initiative culminated in the students marketing and selling their produce at an organic market at Gold Coast, open to the public on July 8.

“Children are our future leaders and it’s important they understand issues facing our global community, such as environmental conservation,” said Anthony Leung, managing director, FedEx Express Hong Kong and Macau. “FedEx collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute is an effective platform for us to enlighten the next generation to become successful, responsible individuals in their communities.”

“What I have learnt about farming is that we need a lot of patience and hard work,” said Adison Lau, a grade 6 student at St. Stephen’s College Primary Section. “I try not to waste so much food in the canteen. Also the skills we need for farming are not the same as what we learn in the classroom. We need to read the weather, touch the soil and learn what leaves of plants look like. It’s very new to me!”

“I loved going to the farms and seeing vegetables and fruit growing,” said Kelly Chai, a grade 6 student at St. Stephen’s College Primary Section. “It is amazing to see where the food we eat comes from. I also enjoyed FedEx volunteers’ visit and games in my class – I can share with my classmates what I have learnt.”

“We are very excited to work with FedEx, one of the first corporate supporters of the Jane Goodall Institute in Hong Kong. FedEx volunteers play a big role in educating the students about the environment and have built a strong rapport with the students through various activities. This program sees youth and adults coming together to share ideas and implement successful environmental initiatives, which is exactly what Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots is about,” said Michael Neugebauer, chairman of the Jane Goodall Institute in Hong Kong.

The “FedEx We Deliver Green! Classroom education program” was first launched in Taiwan in 2010 and introduced in Hong Kong in 2012.

In addition to raising community awareness about conservation, FedEx has also taken steps to reduce the impact of its business on the environment. In 2008, FedEx announced a global target of 20 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from its aircraft fleet and 20 percent improvement in the fuel efficiency of its vehicle fleet by year 2020.

In Hong Kong, FedEx has made progress towards this goal by launching the first diesel-electric hybrid trucks in the city, reducing carbon output by 30% compared to diesel vehicles previously used. In 2010, FedEx deployed the fuel efficient B777F aircraft in Hong Kong. The B777’s engine technology helps reduce both fuel consumption and emissions by 18 percent.

Earlier in 2012, FedEx launched an Eco-Drive campaign in Hong Kong and nine other Asia Pacific markets to improve fuel efficiency by changing the daily driving habits of hundreds of FedEx drivers.

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