Sun Hung Kai Properties : SHKP and Green Power join forces to mobilize around 200 members of the public to participate in Nature Rescue's South Lantau Bay Beach Clean-up

SHKP and Green Power join forces to mobilize around 200 members of the public to participate in Nature Rescue's South Lantau Bay Beach Clean-up

Adhering to its belief in Building Homes with Heart, Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited (SHKP) is committed to healthy and sustainable living as well as promoting the spirit of caring for nature. To encourage environmental protection among the public, a beach clean-up was recently held at South Lantau Bay on Lantau Island, led by SHKP Executive Director Christopher Kwok, Vice Chairman of Green Power Dr. Man Chi-sum, Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Department Elvis Au, JP, and Senior Marine Parks Officer of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Alan Chan, with around 200 participants from Nature Rescue's supporting organizations as well as teachers and students from tertiary and primary schools, along with volunteers taking part. Over 1,500 kg of waste and recyclables were collected in this coastal conservation act. Previously, SHKP and Green Power jointly launched the free mobile app - Nature Rescue, which provides the public with a convenient and easy-to-use interactive mobile platform to help everyone lead more eco-friendly lives.

Speaking at the beach clean-up event, SHKP Executive Director Christopher Kwok said that after years of unrelenting efforts initiating beach and countryside clean-ups, SHKP is well aware of the fact that the strength of individual or single organisation alone is too small to improve the environment. Through Nature Rescue, therefore, he hopes to rally members of the public who care for nature to report rubbish blackspots and organize voluntary clean-ups by making use of the mobile app's social networking function so that people can become dedicated to environmental protection. The Nature Rescue mobile app can be downloaded from either iPhone or Android platforms.

Vice Chairman of Green Power Dr. Man Chi-sum expressed his gratitude to SHKP for its ongoing support. Since 2011, SHKP has been collaborating with Green Power to organize the Love Nature Campaign while promoting the message of caring for nature and driving environmental education. Staying up-to-date with today's latest trends, they also developed the mobile app jointly, enabling the wider community, and young people in particular, to contribute to nature preservation by playing their part in environmental protection activities. With functions that include 'Clean-up Checklist' and 'Activity Chatroom', Nature Rescue offers an easier and more interactive way for people to initiate clean-up events. Since its release this summer, Nature Rescue has exceeded 1,200 downloads, and around 20 clean-up activities have been initiated by the public. During Hong Kong's prime outings season, Dr. Man encouraged people to use Nature Rescue to help clean up the countryside and beaches while enjoying Hong Kong's natural treasures.

Also at the event, Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Department Elvis Au, JP, and Senior Marine Parks Officer of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Alan Chan called on the public to practise waste reduction at the source and joined hands with a host of participants to clean South Lantau Bay. The groups that participated in Nature Rescue's South Lantau Bay Beach Clean-up included the Agency for Volunteer Service, Business School of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, College of International Education of Hong Kong Baptist University, Marine Parks Ambassadors of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Po Leung Kuk Castar Primary School, SKH Chu Yan Primary School, as well as SHKP volunteers.

With its vast natural beach and mudflats, South Lantau Bay is home to a variety of coastal organisms including horseshoe crabs, known as the marine living fossils. The area is one of the crab's few remaining breeding sites in Hong Kong. Horseshoe crabs have a history of more than 300 million years and are highly valued in medical research. Due to circumstances such as coastal pollution, the number of horseshoe crabs in Hong Kong waters has fallen sharply in recent years. Therefore, this beach clean-up not only prevents garbage from drifting back into the sea, which can affect marine life, but also protects various precious coastal organisms including horseshoe crabs.

SHKP and Green Power jointly launched the Love Nature Campaign in 2011, which combines elements such as education, nature appreciation and outdoor exploration to encourage the public, and younger generation in particular, to care for nature as well as to deepen students' and local citizens' understanding of the environment through activities including eco-tours and beach clean-ups. The Campaign has organized clean-up actions that have so far collected over 30,000 kg of waste and recyclables. It has also conducted more than 50 visits to kindergarten and primary schooland eco-tours. In 2018, SHKP and Green Power furthered their cause by launching Hong Kong's first free countryside and beach clean-up mobile app Nature Rescue, an information and social networking platform, in the hope of mobilizing even more members of the public to participate in nature protection activities.

About Sun Hung Kai Properties

SHKP is committed to developing premium properties and offering customers ideal homes with top-notch service. The Company believes in Building Homes with Heart and actively contributes to the community to make Hong Kong a better place for everyone. SHKP lives up to its corporate social responsibility by leveraging resources and networks to advocate reading and holistic development, healthy and sustainable living, and care for the underprivileged. SHKP has been included in the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index Series since 2010.

Over the past four decades, the management team has led and encourages staff to help those in need while giving back to society with professional knowledge and skills. The Company also engages its stakeholders to garner and produce positive energy in the community.

About Green Power

Green Power was founded in 1988 by a group of dedicated Hong Kong volunteers with a focus on local environmental affairs. It primarily promotes environmental education as it believes education is the ultimate means of transforming thinking and behaviour, especially members of the next generation. Green Power established Hong Kong's first Green School Network for kindergartens, as well as primary and secondary schools in 2001 to provide free environmental education support to teachers and students. To date, more than 60% of schools in Hong Kong are members of the Network.

Green Power is concerned about other environmental issues as well, including waste reduction, global warming, ecological conservation and environmental monitoring. Through different community and educational activities, it encourages people across the community to contribute and work together to protect the environment.