Sustainability
at our heart

To learn about the history of Central and Hong Kong, tourists and local residents may visit the Central Market; for a further understanding about Hong Kong’s traditional rural village culture, they can take a trip to the Lai Chi Wo Story Room located in Northeast New Territories, built with the support of Chinachem Group (“the Group”). With“Where Hing Chun Alliance makes its mark in Central. Where Rural and Urban Communities Integrate.” as the opening theme, the Group unveils “A Date with Hing Chun Alliance” exhibition to promote rural culture in Lai Chi Wo – one of Hong Kong’s oldest rural villages built more than 300 years ago – and its nearby villages. Integrating technology, the exhibition will transport visitors from Central to the Hing Chun Alliance villages1 through an immersive five-senses experience of “Sight, Sound, Touch, Smell and Taste” to learn about four living essentials “Clothes, Food, Home and Commute” in the villages, as a way to preserve and promote the culture and economic development in the Hing Chun Alliance area. Organised by Chinachem Group, curated by the Hong Kong Architecture Centre and supported by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the village heads and representatives of Hing Chun Alliance, and the Lions Club Nature Education Fund, the three-month exhibition will run from now until 28 February 2023 at Legacy Hall, 1/F, Central Market. Attending the opening ceremony, Donald Choi, Executive Director and CEO, Chinachem Group said, “‘A Date with Hing Chun Alliance’ exhibition, held in this revitalised Grade III historic building, fully reflects the Group's commitment to architecture and to the conservation of intangible cultural heritage, while realising ‘urban-rural integration’. Through a placemaking approach, we are using local assets and potential to create attractive public spaces that foster community development and, hopefully, can resonate emotionally with visitors so that our most cherished traditions and culture can live on. This encapsulates the spirit of our Central Market and Lai Chi Wo Story Room conservation projects.” Choi continues to say that the exhibition demonstrates the Group’s Triple Bottom Line of People, Prosperity and Planet by educating the public about the culture and daily life in the Hing Chun Alliance, while bringing social and economic benefits to the local village communities. At the same time, the project can strengthen the sense of belonging among the Hong Kong community, inspiring people to work together towards a more livable city and a better future. Mickey Lai, Acting Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation said: “The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department is delighted to learn about an exhibition on Hing Chun Alliance being held at Central Market and would like to thank Chinachem Group for leading this initiative. In 2018, the Department launched the ‘Same Roots, Same Origins’ project in collaboration with geopark communities and villages to showcase their traditions and intangible cultural heritage. The Hing Chun Alliance is a large-scale alliance of seven historic Hakka villages with rich traditions in northeast New Territories. The settlements are worth knowing and exploring due to their stunning landscapes and rich cultural history, and I strongly recommend everyone to visit Hing Chun Alliance villages after touring the exhibition. I believe it will be an unforgettable experience.” Tony Ip, Chairman, Hong Kong Architecture Centre said: "The Hong Kong Architecture Centre is very pleased to join hands with Chinachem Group to organise ‘A Date with Hing Chun Alliance’ exhibition, bringing remote villages right to our bustling city centre and sharing the traditions of the seven major Hakka villages in the Northeast New Territories with the public. Visitors to the exhibition can experience the four living essentials of ‘Clothes, Food, Home and Commute’ in these Hakka villages, through their five senses of ‘Sight, Sound, Touch, Smell, and Taste’. The three-month long exhibition will engage different parties to share their stories through creative, cross-genre presentations. On top of the exhibition itself, there will also be a series of exciting activities including lectures, workshops and staycation in Lai Chi Wo. These are experiences not to be missed.” With a traditional Hakka summer hat as its emblem, the exhibition will offer visitors a close-up look at authentic local produce like coffee beans, turmeric, rice, ginger, and non-GMO papaya grown in Lai Chi Wo. Visitors can also appreciate Lai Chi Wo’s picturesque scenery across all four seasons through the lens of Jacky Lee, a renowned photographer and champion of National Geographic Photo Contest – Hong Kong Place. What’s more, during the weekends within the exhibition period, different activities, workshops and lectures will also be organised for the public: The Chinachem Group-funded Lai Chi Wo Story Room focuses on four themes of Hing Chun Alliance Hakka village life, namely daily lives, wedding rituals, traditional medicine, and Hakka folk songs. By taking visitors back to the glorious days of the past, it helps promote the culture of Hing Chun Alliance to the younger generations. Lai Chi Wo, where the Story Room is located, is one of Hong Kong’s oldest, largest and best-preserved rural settlements. “A Date with Hing Chung Alliance” exhibition Date:  30 November 2022 to 28 February 2023 (Open as usual during holidays) Time:  10:00am to 7:00pm Venue: Legacy Hall, 1/F, Central Market,  93 Queens Road Central 1：The Hing Chun Alliance is an alliance among seven villages including Lai Chi Wo, one of Hong Kong’s oldest rural villages with more than 300 years’ history, and nearby So Lo Pun, Mui Tze Lam, Kop Tong, Siu Tan, Ngau Shi Wu and Sam A village. Surrounded by lush fung shui wood and mangrove forest, there are more than 200 homes in the village. It is currently one of the largest and best-preserved rural settlements in Hong Kong, presenting the traditional Hakka village culture.

Chinachem Group (Chinachem) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen research collaboration among industry, academia and research organisations to drive innovative solutions for sustainable development of the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The partnership leverages the combined strengths and experience of PolyU in interdisciplinary research with that of Chinachem in property and community development. The MoU sets out a framework for both parties to conduct three pilot research projects to explore innovative solutions and technology applications to help achieve the goals of carbon neutrality, an inclusive society and a green economy. Through this industry-academia collaboration, Chinachem and PolyU will develop new technology and systems to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption in a next-generation data centre, explore new types of intergenerational housing for future Hong Kong community settlements in the GBA, and experiment with the use of blockchain technology in promoting green economy. Witnessed by Donald CHOI, Executive Director and CEO of Chinachem Group, Hung-han WONG, Executive Director and COO of Chinachem Group, Dr Lawrence LI Kwok-chang, Deputy Council Chairman of PolyU, and Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, the MoU was signed by Ricky TSANG, Deputy CFO of Chinachem Group, and Prof. Wing-tak WONG, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU. "As a socially responsible developer, we need to harness the full power of technology not only to speed construction and reduce costs, but also to create what we term ‘Places with Heart’,” Donald Choi said. “Joint efforts across industries are essential to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding is a very valuable step forward in regard to fostering business collaboration with academia and research organisations in order to pioneer innovative technological solutions. I feel very excited and energised about the possibilities for breaking new boundaries together, creating positive value for People, Prosperity and the Planet,” he added. Prof. Jin-Guang Teng said, “This industry-academic collaboration will see PolyU and Chinachem working together to create solutions for major sustainability challenges including energy consumption, climate change, an ageing population and the adoption of green behaviour. PolyU will continue to deepen its collaboration with key partners and stakeholders in society to proactively translate research outcomes into real-world solutions to foster more liveable and sustainable communities in Hong Kong, the Nation and the world.” Under the MoU, Chinachem and PolyU will also continue to explore cooperation opportunities in areas including support to start-ups and entrepreneurship, application and commercialisation of new technologies, environmental, social and governance strategy and measurement, and carbon neutrality.

Chinachem Group Sustainability Conference 2022, organised by Chinachem Group (the Group) and co-organised by the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC), was held yesterday (24 October) under the theme of “Creating Social Impact on the Zero Carbon Journey in Hong Kong”. Conducted both physically and online, this year’s conference attracted more than 1,700 participants and experts interested in working towards a zero-carbon community. The conference was graced by 15 eminent international and local speakers from the government, academia, and the architecture, technology and finance industries. Sharing their experiences and insights on green buildings, green finance and revitalisation of heritage buildings, the speakers updated the industry on the latest trends on sustainable development while co-creating a blueprint for making Hong Kong a more liveable city. As one of Hong Kong’s leading developers, Chinachem upholds a people-centric philosophy, balancing people, prosperity and planet as its Triple Bottom Line. In the face of challenges of a rapidly ageing city, the Group remains dedicated to community building, placing social and environmental values on an equal footing to profit. With a commitment to create a more liveable environment and shared value for the community, the Group partnered with HKGBC again to organise the Sustainability Conference. Through this platform, the Group aspired not only to contribute to society, but also to draw greater industry and public attention to sustainable development with a view to building a more sustainable, liveable city together. Chinachem Group Sustainability Conference 2022 was held at Nina Hotel Tsuen Wan West, with Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn delivering the opening remarks. 15 renowned speakers were invited, including local leaders: Donald Choi, Executive Director and CEO of Chinachem Group; Jim Taylor, Senior Director, Planning & Development of CLP Power Hong Kong; Kevin O’Brien, Chief Executive of Gammon Construction Limited; Dr Stephen Wong, Vice President of Hong Kong Green Finance Association; Jonathan Drew, Head of Global Banking Sustainability, Asia-Pacific of HSBC; Dr Thomas Tang, Executive Director, Land Supply/Municipal, Hong Kong of AECOM; Wong Kam Sing, Former Secretary for the Environment; Eric Poon, Executive Director, Commercial of Urban Renewal Authority, Dr Rocco Yim, renowned architect; Chin Chin Teoh, Director of Tai Kwun; Prof Stephen Tang, Head of Countryside Conservation Office; Vincent Ng, Chairman of Harbourfront Commission; and Cheung Hau-wai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Green Building Council; and overseas experts who attended online: Prof Tai Lee-siang, Professor of Singapore University of Technology and Design and Chris Trott, Head of Sustainability & Partner of Foster + Partners. Over 1,700 people participated in the conference, including nearly 500 attending in person. Open to online participants for the first time, the conference drew about 1,200 people signing up for virtual attendance, many of whom were from overseas, furthering the event’s global impact. In her opening remarks, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said, “Climate change is an issue we have to overcome, and it is one which no one can tackle by isolated efforts, but by the commitment and collaborative efforts of many industry stakeholders in the move towards sustainable built environment. Chinachem Group’s modular integrated construction (MiC) project in Tonkin Street is the first high-rise private residential MiC project in Hong Kong. It can significantly improve quality, safety and sustainability performance of construction work. We are excited to learn that Chinachem Group is planning the second MiC project, having the number of flats 10 times that of the Tonkin Street project. I hope to see many more MiC projects from the private sector to come.” Donald Choi, Executive Director and CEO of Chinachem Group, said, “Chinachem Group walks the talk when it comes to sustainable development. In addition to developing a sustainability framework, we have also formulated short-, medium- and long-term goals, strategies and a roadmap with reference to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. On the environmental front, we have established the CCG3050+ with an ambitious carbon reduction target to cut the Group’s carbon emissions by more than 50% by 2030 compared with the base year of 2020. To support the Group’s business strategy and vision, we launched the Green Finance Framework and joined forces with financial institutions to promote green finance by injecting funds into sustainability projects that deliver environmental benefits. Going forward, the Group will continue to promote the wider use of greener construction methods in the industry, and we look forward to working with like-minded partners to make Hong Kong a more liveable city.” Cheung Hau-wai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Green Building Council, said, “The conference has provided a valuable opportunity for many leaders and experts in green building industry, construction, green finance, and heritage conservation sector to gather for a common goal. To create social impact on the Zero Carbon Journey, it is necessary for all of us to examine how the society’s different sectors can impact from the building’s life cycle from design, construction to regeneration, countryside conservation and its interplay with urban development. We look forward to interacting and exchanging ideas with industry experts around the world in the hope of creating a low carbon future for our community.” In addition, this year’s conference introduced a new exhibition area and invited five exhibitors to showcase their approaches and innovations in sustainable development. One of the exhibitors was the Group’s Nina Park, which features a number of sustainability elements and is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2023 as Hong Kong’s only wood fossil edutainment destination. Other participating start-ups and SMEs included “Farmacy”, which promotes agriculture and hydroponic farming; “Urban Spring”, a smart filtered water dispenser company focused on reducing plastic bottle use; “Timberbank”, an eco-preneur that advocates local felled tree recycling and reindustrialisation; and “Circular City”, which promotes plastic-free living and zero-waste beverages.