MACAO, May 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sands China Ltd. is pleased to announce its partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the world's leading conservation organisation, and the launch of WWF's Earth Hour 'Just One' Hotels Programme, joining forces to reduce environmental impact and giving hotel guests the opportunity to contribute to tackling climate change. A joint press conference was held Thursday at Sands® Cotai Central, attended by executives from Sands China and WWF.
As part of Sands China's ongoing commitment to sustainability, hotel guests have the opportunity to take part in climate action and contribute through WWF by adding USD 1 (MOP/HKD 8) to their bill for every night spent at The Venetian® Macao or The Parisian Macao. The collected funds from the 6,000 guest rooms will then go toward supporting two initiatives: 1) the WWF-China Biomass Fuel Stove Project and 2) raising environmental sustainability awareness in Macao through the distribution of Earth Hour Home LED Kits. The Venetian Macao and The Parisian Macao are the first hotels in Macao and Hong Kong to partner with WWF through 'Just One.'
"Sands China Ltd. has been working with WWF for many years now in support of Earth Hour," said Mark McWhinnie, Senior Vice President of Resort Operations and Development for Sands China Ltd. "So it is with great pleasure that we now embark on this new 'Just One' initiative, a three-year campaign to raise environmental awareness and make a positive impact on the environment through contributions by our hotel guests."
The first beneficiary of the campaign is the WWF-China Biomass Fuel Stove Project, which will impact at least 1,000 families in several villages in mainland China, where coal is the current energy source used for cooking. The reduced environmental impact of the cleaner-burning biomass stoves benefits the communities in the form of:
The second beneficiary of WWF's Earth Hour 'Just One' Hotels Programme is the Macao community. An estimated 5,000 Earth Hour Home LED Kits will be distributed among several local schools, raising environmental sustainability awareness with students and parents. Each kit includes all the information needed for families to #MakeTheSwitch to energy-efficient lighting and to participate in Earth Hour. The engagement with the local Macao community is part of Sands China's genuine commitment to helping build a sustainable future and encouraging a positive environmental change. Each kit contains:
"WWF is excited Sands China Ltd. shares our vision of collectively creating a better future for our planet. Climate change affects everyone, everywhere. And everyone is part of the solution. Through WWF's Earth Hour 'Just One' Hotel Programme, hotel staff and guests can engage in climate action and learn more about how they can make a difference," said Sudhanshu Sarronwala, Executive Director of Communications & Marketing for WWF International. "No one causes climate change in isolation and no one can tackle it alone. Together, however, we can change climate change."
Thursday's press conference included a kick-off ceremony for the Just One programme, officiated by McWhinnie; Sarronwala; Dave Sun, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Sands China Ltd.; and Bede Barry, Vice President of Hotel Operations for The Venetian Macao and Sands Cotai Central.
Environmental sustainability is one of Sands China's core values. Annual participation in Earth Hour and the newly launched Just One campaign are just two of the many ongoing efforts of the company's Sands ECO360° global sustainability strategy, which seeks to minimise the company's impact on the environment and encourage green-minded action from its team members – at work and at home.
Sands China's eco-friendly measures at its properties have contributed to more sustainable operations while earning the company recognition for its efforts. In April 2014, The Venetian Macao became the first entity in Macao and one of the first two integrated resorts in Asia to receive the prominent ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management System certification. In 2015 it received an ISO 9001:2008 certification for the quality management system of its convention and exhibition services. Five hotels at Sands China properties are winners of the Macao SAR government's Macau Green Hotel Award at the Gold level. These and many other awards continue to highlight the success of Sands China's ongoing sustainability efforts.
About Sands China Ltd.
Sands China Ltd. (HKEx: 1928, Sands China or the Company) is a Cayman Islands registered company and is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. Sands China is the largest operator of integrated resorts in Macao. The Company's Cotai Strip portfolio is comprised of The Venetian® Macao, The Plaza™ Macao, Sands® Cotai Central and The Parisian Macao. The Company also owns and operates Sands® Macao on the Macao peninsula. The Company's integrated resorts contain a diversified mix of leisure and business attractions and transportation operations, including large meeting and convention facilities; a wide range of restaurants; shopping malls; world-class entertainment at the Cotai Arena, The Venetian Theatre, The Parisian Theatre and the Sands Cotai Theatre; and a high-speed Cotai Water Jet ferry service between Hong Kong and Macao. The Company's Cotai Strip portfolio has the goal of contributing to Macao's transformation into a world centre of tourism and leisure. Sands China is a subsidiary of global resort developer Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS).
For more information, please visit www.sandschinaltd.com.
About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Earth Hour is a property of WWF. Visit www.panda.org/news for latest news and media resources and follow us on Twitter @WWF_media.
Media contacts:
Corporate Communications, Venetian Macau Limited
Mabel Wu
Tel: +853 8118 2268
Email: mabel.wu@sands.com.mo
Simpson Lei
Tel: +853 8118 2054
Email: simpson.lei@sands.com.mo
