HONG KONG, Sept. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- New World Development Company Limited ("NWD" or "the "Group", Hong Kong stock code: 00017), a leading Asian conglomerate, has made sustainability one of its key strategic goals and proactively integrates environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations across all its operations and business segments locally and globally.
In recognition for the Group's sustainability performance, NWD has just been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index (DJSI Asia Pacific) for the first time. The DJSI was launched in 1999 as the first global sustainability benchmark. The DJSI Asia Pacific was introduced in January 2009 to assess the stock performance of companies based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria.
In addition, NWD has been awarded the highest Five-Star rating from the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), an investor driven organisation that assesses and benchmarks ESG performance for real asset sector portfolios and assets worldwide. NWD received a score of 90 (against a global average of 72), moving two places up from last year to become the number one diversified listed company in Eastern Asia. Globally, NWD is ranked top 7 among 230 diversified listed businesses. NWD showed significant improvements in various categories such as "Stakeholder Engagement", "Performance Indicators" and "Building Certifications".
Mr. Adrian Cheng, Executive Vice-chairman of NWD, said, "We greatly appreciate the recognition of our sustainability efforts, which we prioritise at every level at NWD and try to bring to life through our ecosystem of infrastructure and services and vision for the future. Through our broader strategy 'New World Sustainability Vision 2030', we make it a top priority to align our business goals with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and make sure our business contributes to society. Our ultimate goal is to create shared value for our local communities, customers, employees and shareholders, and to make sure our business is benefiting all our stakeholders."
Ms. Ellie Tang, Head of Sustainability of NWD, added: "We are pleased to receive the highest GRESB rating and be included in the DJSI Asia Pacific for the first time. The recognition underlines our management's commitment to drive sustainable business practices, improve our ESG performance and deliver business growth while being responsible to the local communities we operate in."
For more information on the Group's effort to promote sustainability, including "New World Sustainability Vision 2030", please visit the Group's official website (https://www.nwd.com.hk/sustainability/en/). For details on the GRESB and DJSI, please refer to https://gresb.com and https://www.robecosam.com/csa/indices/djsi-index-family.html respectively.
About New World Development Company Limited
Founded in 1970, New World Development Company Limited ( "the Group", Hong Kong stock code: 00017) was publicly listed in Hong Kong in 1972 and is a constituent stock of the Hong Kong Hang Seng Index. A premium brand infused with a unique personality by The Artisanal Movement, the Group's four core businesses include property development, infrastructure and services, retail, and hotels and serviced apartments. As at 31 December 2018, its total asset value amounted to HK$481.3 billion. The Group has an effective interest of about 61% in NWS Holdings Limited (Hong Kong stock code: 0659) and about 75% in New World Department Store China Limited (Hong Kong stock code: 0825), while New World China Land Limited is wholly owned by the Group.
Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190918/2584613-1?lang=0
