(14 December 2015 – Hong Kong) New World Department Store China Limited (“NWDS” or the “Company”; Hong Kong stock code: 825), one of the largest owners and operators of department stores in Mainland China, is pleased to announce that the Company’s outstanding performance in sustainability was widely acclaimed. The Company garnered the “Green Office” label and the UNMDG’s “Better World Company” label in the “Green Office Awards Labelling Scheme” organized by the World Green Organization for the third consecutive year, and won the “Hong Kong Community Volunteers (Corporate Members) Certificate of Appreciation” two times in a row.

The “Green Office Awards Labelling Scheme” organized by the World Green Organization assess companies’ green measures in nine criteria, including energy savings, water savings, waste reduction, paper/printing, green procurement, IT use and disposal, transportation, education and awareness, and green innovation, and provide professional training and case study sharing to companies in order to promote green office operations. NWDS Hong Kong Office has garnered this label for three consecutive years. Staff has nurtured energy saving habits such as turning off lights, printing on both sides of paper and adjusting the brightness of computer monitors in their daily routine to reduce carbon emissions with actions. Furthermore, NWDS formulated a series of energy saving and emissions reduction guidelines in FY2015 to facilitate continuous electricity consumption reduction at stores and offices. With the contribution of entire workforce, the total electricity consumption at nationwide stores and offices hit a record low with about 15% reduction in average electricity consumption per square meter compared to that in FY2012.

To recognize volunteers’ wholehearted commitment, Agency for Volunteer Service award outstanding individuals and corporate volunteer members each year in accordance with their accumulative service hours during the year. The volunteer team of NWDS Hong Kong Office organized five volunteer activities from April 2014 to March 2015, namely, “Easter Egg Rolls DIY”, “Artistic Hong Kong Tour”, “Soccer Dreams”, “Merry Hula Hooping Christmas” and “Chinese New Year with the Elderly”, and rendered voluntary service in the “NWDS Sowers Action Challenging 12 Hours Charity Marathon 2014” as well as other community activities organized by New World Group, amounting to 243 service hours in total.

Ms. Rebecca Woo, Corporate Affairs Director and Chairman of Sustainability Steering Committee of NWDS, said, “While pursuing business development and the highest return for shareholders, we endeavor to minimize the environmental impact arising from our business operations and encourage staff to care for the community and the under-resourced groups. It is our honor to receive recognitions from numerous organizations, which empower us with confidence to carry on our works in the future. We will continue our efforts and actions to better undertake corporate social responsibility.”

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