To: All
Financial/ Business Editors
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LEO Is First Private Company in Hong Kong to Earn
HKQAA Green Finance Certificate and Complete a Green Loan
Hong Kong, 3 September 2018 – Leo Paper Group (Hong Kong)
Limited (the “Group”), a leading global printing communications
company based in Hong Kong, has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Leo
Paper Group Finance Limited (“Leo”), has signed a HKD350 Million
Four-Year Green Loan Term and Revolving Credit Facility (“Green Loan”)
with a group of seven leading banks. The loan is to be used in accordance with the
Group’s 2018 Green Loan Framework which has earned the Green Finance of
Pre-Issuance Stage Certificate issued by the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency
(“HKQAA”) on 13 August 2018. Leo is the first privately-held
company in Hong Kong to obtain this Green Finance Certificate and complete a
Green Loan.
Group Chairman Mr. Samuel Leung commented on the financing, “We
are committed to be a global green printer and proud to be the first Hong Kong
privately-held company and the first manufacturer to receive the HKQAA Green Finance Certificate. This demonstrates that private companies
committed to sustainable developments can also meet the stringent requirements
set under the HKQAA Green Finance Certification Scheme, which had only
accredited blue-chip listed companies in the past.”
“Over the past two decades, the Group has focused on energy
efficiency management, carbon and emissions reduction, solid waste
and waste water management, green buildings, resources utilisation
and recycling of natural resources. We have invested over HKD150 million on
green projects in the past six years and succeeded in saving 25.68 million kWh of
electricity consumption and reduced carbon emissions by 13,540 tonnes. With the full support from our close business
partners and the injection of this HKD350 million Green Loan, we are geared for
greener achievements in the near future.”
“Leo’s Green Loan programme
has been completed in just 40 days which has set an industry record!”
said Mr. King Lai, the Group CFO. “We are grateful to all professional
parties involved, including the HKQAA team, seven participating leading banks
and our internal dedicated team. Through the best efforts from all of us, we
finally turned this mission from impossible to possible within a limited
timeframe. We are proud to be the pioneer among privately-held companies to
obtain the Green Finance Certificate. Green is the ultimate goal and we hope
more and more industrial players will join us in the same path.”
Proceeds
of the Green Loan are to be used to finance 20 green projects of the Group in China in coming few years. These
include investments in plants and facilities used by the printing industry that
aim at raising energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions and waste, as
well as projects that promote green construction.
The Group’s 2018 Green Loan Framework is now available on the
HKQAA website for download.
http://www.hkqaa.org/cmsimg/Green%20Finance/20180903_HKQAA_Green_Finance_Cer.pdf
The signing ceremony of the Group and the 7 institutions
participating in the Green Loan take place today, demonstrate the Group’s
commitment in deepening its environmental constructions, the participating
banks are:
1.
The Bank of East Asia, Ltd.
2.
BNP Paribas
3.
Citibank, N.A.
4.
Hang Seng Bank Ltd.
5.
The Hongkong
and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd.
6.
Mizuho Bank, Ltd.
7.
MUFG Bank, Ltd.
About Leo Paper Group
(Hong Kong) Limited
Since 1982, the Group has engaged in business as a traditional
printing company and since then, it has developed into a leading global
printing communications company, providing its clients with comprehensive printing
services. Over the years, the Group has continued to promote environmentally-friendly
materials and cleaner production technologies. To enhance its green
manufacturing capability, not only has the Group increased sourcing of
“green” materials and developed products with green technologies, but
it has also reduced waste and emissions and has reused resources. The Group
strives to improve their environmental performance in the production and
business operations to reduce the ecological footprint to help create a better
future.
About the Green Finance
Certification Scheme
The Green Finance Certification Scheme was officially launched by Hong
Kong Quality Assurance Agency (“HKQAA”) on 3 January 2018 to
provide third-party conformity assessments for Green Finance issuers. It is a
strategic tool for promoting the economic development and regional cooperation
in the Guangdong-HongKong-Macao Big Bay Area and along
the Belt and Road. In keeping with the development of the national Green
Finance policy and being supported by the Hong Kong SAR Government, HKQAA has
taken the lead to develop the Green Finance Certification Scheme since 2016.
For media enquiries:
Name: Courtney Ngai Title: Assistant Director Strategic Financial Relations Ltd. Phone Number: (852) 2114
4952 Email: courtney.ngai@sprg.com.hk |
Name: Emma Fung Title: Executive Secretary Leo Paper Group (Hong Kong)
Ltd. Phone Number: (852) 2535
2438 Email: EmmaFung@leo.com.hk |
The electronic version of this press
release is now available for download.
English
version : http://www.leo.com.hk/PressRelease/En/
Chinese version :
http://www.leo.com.hk/PressRelease/Zh/