Actively using the energy, knowledge and intelligence of community organisations and schools is a vital ingredient in the success of many different types of sustainability programs.
Sponsorships
The NSW government and the Office of Environment and Heritage also sponsor community initiatives that focus on education around power use, the environment and climate change.
Sponsorships we have supported include the 1 Million Women, Sustainable House Day and the Australian Museum exhibition "Our future, Our choice".
Programs and resources to support the NSW community
The NSW government also has a range of programs and resources to support schools, community organisations and local governments in their efforts to learn more about and to improve their energy efficiency while reducing their environmental impact.
Language and cultural barriers can sometimes restrict the ability of many community members to obtain information about the environment and become involved in environmental programs.
For this reason, community radio and press advertisements are developed for key education campaigns, including black balloons.
Workshops on a range of sustainability issues are also available in Cantonese, Mandarin, Arabic, Italian, Greek and Vietnamese as part of the Office of Environment and Heritage's Ethnic Communities Sustainable Living Project.