HONG KONG, CHINA - Media
OutReach - 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.
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The Green Loan Signing Ceremony between Leo Paper Group and 7 Participating Banks.
(From left to right):
- Ms. Amy Chun, Managing Director, Head, Large and Medium Corporate, Commercial Bank, Citibank
- Mr. Kevin Chan, Director & Department Head of MUFG Bank, Ltd.
- Mr. Dick Wong, Managing Director, Commercial Banking of HSBC
- Mr. Donald Lam, Head of Commercial Banking, Hang Seng Bank Ltd.
- Mr. Samuel Leung, Chairman of LEO Paper Group
- Mr. King Lai, CFO & Group Director, LEO Paper Group
- Ms. Taisy Liu, General Manager, Mizuho Bank, Ltd.
- Mr. Lawrence Mak, Head of Corporate Banking Group Greater China, BNP Paribas
- Mr. Thomas Tsui, General Manager & Head of Corporate Banking of The Bank of East Asia, Ltd.
- Mr. P.C. Chan, Chief Operating Officer, Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency
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 takes place today, demonstrates 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.
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/