PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – News Direct – 19 April 2023 – Knox Wire, the global payments and real-time financial messaging network, announces plans to launch its trustless gold backed currency, PMBC (Precious Metals Backed Currency).
The new product enables governments, corporations and financial institutions to hedge against the instability of the financial system while at the same time keeping funds extremely liquid. Holding the precious metals backed currency provides an entity with the security of physical metals while being able to instantly convert and send cross-border payments to over 20,000 institutions in nearly 200 countries.
This trustless system will provide users with a secure way to store and send wealth without relying on a potentially vulnerable banking system for storage, settlement or redemption. With this new launch, Knox Wire continues its mission of providing an alternative financial infrastructure to send real-time cross border payments.
The Launch of a Gold-Backed Currency with a Trustless Mechanism
Knox Wire’s new gold-backed currency operates on a trustless mechanism, providing reliable value stability as the metals backing PMBC will not be held by the company, but regional, redemptive trusts located globally.
These trusts will be in centralized locations in North America, Europe and Asia. They ensure that no entity is solely reliant on Knox Wire, a potentially vulnerable financial system, or any single company, for redemption. This trustless mechanism can provide users with peace of mind that their assets are always backed one to one, and always accessible.
Setting a New Standard in Financial Security
The issue with traditional gold backed currencies is that gold can be prone to volatility on its own. The way PMBC will work to counteract this volatility is by backing each PMBC with one gram of gold, one gram of platinum and one gram of palladium. Reducing potential volatility by distributing any potential market risk between three of the strongest performing precious metals.
PMBC offers substantial benefits to traditional options, including; immediate liquidity, trustless redeemability, distributed backing, and the security of Knox Wire’s immutable, distributed ledger. When combined with the services of Knox Wire, PMBC is a solution that sets a new standard for the usability of precious metals.
Hashtag: #KnoxWire
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Knox Wire
Knox Wire is a real-time gross settlement network that combines financial messaging and cross-border payments with local payouts to over 20,000 Financial Institutions (FIs) in nearly 200 countries.
More details about Knox Wire are available on the project’s website and on the social media pages listed below.
A-list speakers from Animoca Brands, Hex Trust, Alchemy Pay, NFTScan, BuilderDAO, Desyn Protocol, GBV Capital, Blockchain Academy Group, and more predict a boom in consumer-facing applications.
HONG KONG SAR – News Direct – 19 April 2023 – Bing Ventures, a pioneering VC firm in Asia that backs entrepreneurs and early-stage startups in Web3 and blockchain, concluded its side event entitled “Web3 Reimagined” at the Hong Kong Web3 Festival 2023 on April 14.
The event, in partnership with AI-driven Web3 content aggregator Followin, convened some of Asia’s leading VCs, startups, and media leaders to reflect on the opportunities and challenges of the road ahead for Web3 amid the complex and ever-changing industry landscape.
Top Investment Themes for 2023
Before a packed auditorium, Wayne Wu, Partner of Bing Ventures delivered keynote remarks that shared the VC firm’s views on the top investment themes for 2023. “Although been through a treacherous 2022, the industry has shown its tenacity in the first quarter of 2023. The recovery of the industry will be driven by technological innovations,” he said.
Wu shared the specific innovations that Bing Ventures is looking at under six investment themes including Web3 infrastructure and applications, TradFi’s integration with DeFi, Ethereum scaling, collaboration tools for DAOs, GameFi, and the intersection of digital identity (DID) and social networking.
“We think GameFi projects utilizing new human-computer interaction technology such as VR, AR, and ChatGPT and delving deep into the in-game uses of NFTs are promising, especially those with innovative token economies,” he explained.
His forward-looking and insightful speech set the tone for the rest of the event.
A Boom in Consumer-facing Applications is Coming
Besides the keynote speech, the event included two panel discussions highlighting diverging perspectives from the point of view of entrepreneurs in the first and a more digital-assets-focused discussion in the second.
Speakers on the two panels include Josh Du, Head of Digital Asset Portfolios at Animoca Brands; Christian Ng, Partner at GBV Capital; Calvin Poon, Investment Associate at The Spartan Group; Albert Chang, Managing Partner at Chiron Partners; Kevin Shao, Cofounder of Bitrise Capital; Shier Han, Cofounder of NFTScan; Niels Ma, Initiator of BuidlerDAO; Lionel Yuan, CEO of DeSyn Protocol; Gabriele Bandi, VP of Sales & Business Development at Hex Trust; Robert McCracken, Ecosystem Lead, Alchemy Pay; and Wego C., Cofounder of BlockTempo.
The first panel was moderated by Andrew Han, Chief Branding Officer of Followin, while the second panel was moderated by Yanyan (Chunyan) Liang, Co-founder & CMO of Blockchain Academy Group.
It was worth noticing that panelists on both stages shared positive views on the development of the industry and believed the flipping point for a boom in Web3 consumer applications may be imminent. Entrepreneurs in several sectors indicated that the fundamentals of the industry were not shacked by the high-profile black swan incidents and bankruptcies in 2022. Talents continue to flow into the space, entrepreneurial activities are strong, and regulators worldwide are gradually learning about Web3. In addition, empowering technologies such as AI are bringing new possibilities to the industry.
Sector-wise, several investors including Animoca Brands mentioned that they are doubling down on consumer-facing applications from gaming, fashion, music, and education to custody solutions, payments, and social networking. As more and more already-successful Web2 companies realize that their business models can work better with Web3 technologies, the number of consumer-facing applications will grow exponentially.
The event ended after a lively cocktail party and was attended by over 200 invited guests.
“As a research-driven VC firm, we host and support events from workshops to hackathons to help facilitate meaningful exchanges of ideas. We are glad the side event was a success and look forward to meeting more industry participants at our future events,” Wu commented.
Hashtag: #BingVentures
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About the Web3 Festival
The inaugural Web3 Festival, co-hosted by Wanxiang Blockchain Labs and HashKey Group and supported by the Hong Kong government, is the largest crypto-focused conference Hong Kong has ever hosted. This four-day event will see over 10,000 attendees, 300 distinguished industry speakers, VCs, and senior finance and FinTech executives, about 100 Web3 project exhibitors, community partners and media partners around the world congregate to network, share, and learn through high-level content and panel discussions.
About Bing Ventures Founded by former J.P. Morgan and Standard Chartered bankers, Bing Ventures is a pioneering venture capital firm that backs startups and entrepreneurs driving the next wave of Web3 and blockchain innovations. Its team of crypto veterans and natives collectively brings decades of experience in investing in, incubating, developing, and marketing Web 3.0 projects. With a sector-agnostic, value-investing approach, it now has a portfolio spanning DeFi, NFT, GameFi, DAOs, infrastructure, Web3, and more. Bing Ventures is headquartered in Singapore and has team members decentralized across Asia, the UK, and the US.
New edition introduces an enriched suite of training programs, career coaching powered by TalentLabs, and a dedicated job board in collaboration with CPJobs
Google Hong Kong is doubling the number of youth scholarships this year, distributed in partnership with the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, Fullness Social Enterprises Society, Hong Kong Design Centre and SME Lab
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 19 April 2023 – Google Hong Kong today announced the launch of Google Career Certificates Program 2023, as part of its ongoing efforts to upskill and empower talents from all backgrounds while addressing the growing demand for advanced digital skills. The new edition offers an enriched suite of training programs with two new courses, a well-rounded job-seeking skill support and empowerment program by TalentLabs, as well as the new Google Career Certificates Job Board, powered by CPJobs. In addition, Google Hong Kong is offering 2,000 scholarships (doubling the number from 2022) that will be distributed in partnership with Leading Partner – the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) and three Industry Partners, namely Fullness Social Enterprises Society (FSES), Hong Kong Design Centre, and SME Lab.
(From left to right) Aaron Au Yeung, Assistant Project Manager, Fullness Social EnterPrises Society; Human So, Business Development Manager, SME Lab; Dr Joseph F Wong, Executive Director, Hong Kong Design Centre; Michael Yue, General Manager, Sales & Operations, Google Hong Kong; Gary Tang, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG), Coordinator (Services); Terrance Lok, Chief Executive Officer, TalentLabs; and Ryan Wong, Sales & Marketing Director, CPJobs, celebrated the launch of the Google Career Certificates Program 2023.
Michael Yue, General Manager, Sales & Operations, Google Hong Kong, said: “We at Google Hong Kong are committed to digitising Hong Kong for good, through economic contribution, ecosystem, and education. Last year we launched the Google Career Certificates Program and partnered with HKFYG in hopes of equipping talents in Hong Kong with in-demand digital skills, so as to enable them to unlock more career opportunities. We are glad to see how far the graduates have come, which is a testament to the success of the program. Hence we are launching the new edition this year with a series of enhanced offerings to address the city’s need for talents with advanced digital capabilities.”
Employees see benefits of upskilling through flexible online certificates that can help solve the city’s talent crunch in the long run
Hong Kong is facing an intensifying talent crunch and there is a critical need for the city to reskill and upskill its workforce. Employees see the benefits of reskilling and upskilling, including significant boosts to their salaries and bargaining power (63%) as well as improvements in their performance (55%), according to a new report on digital skills in Hong Kong from Economist Impact, supported by Google. In terms of desired skill sets, employees cited data analysis and visualisation (54%) as one of the leading “must have” advanced digital skills.
Online certificates, as a new mode of learning, offer flexible and accessible on-demand study models, allowing learners to explore new knowledge and skills and continue a lifelong learning journey. Furthermore, online certificates are gaining popularity and recognition in recent years; the same Economist Impact report revealed that over half of the responding employees said their employers are shifting their hiring focus to skills-based qualifications (51%) and that they value online certificates (52%).
According to Gary Tang, Coordinator (Service), The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG), “The feedback we received from participants of last year’s Google Career Certificates Program was how beneficial it was to be able to access self-study online courses in helping them to enhance their employability.” Mr Tang went on to say that, “We are pleased to continue the partnership with Google Hong Kong for this new edition and to help more youths in need of practical digital knowledge. This reinforces our commitment and support to young people as they develop the future skills they need to progress and prosper.”
Empowering Hong Kong youths with enriched suite of digital skills and extended career coaching support
Google Career Certificates, built and taught by Google experts, cover many of the digital skills that Hong Kong employees aspire to have, including Data Analytics and Digital Marketing & E-commerce. New courses added for 2023 include Advanced Data Analytics Certificate that offers advanced skills and techniques for collecting, analysing, and interpreting extremely large amounts of data within organisations, and Business Intelligence Certificate where participants can learn to collect, structure, interpret, and report on business data to help stakeholders make informed decisions.
The launch of the Google Career Certificates Program has been well received. In Hong Kong, over 80% of graduates report a positive career outcome (e.g., a new job, a promotion or a raise) within six months of completion.* In response to this positive result, Google Hong Kong is offering even more extensive support to this year’s graduates. Terrance Lok, CEO of TalentLabs, said: “As a full-stack career platform focusing on technology careers, we are excited to work with Google Hong Kong to support participants of the Google Career Certificates Program. Through a range of job-seeking skill support and empowerment services, we help candidates of various backgrounds thrive in today’s digital economy and meet the demands of the future workforce.”
In addition, Google Hong Kong is partnering with recruitment website CPJobs to launch a dedicated Google Career Certificates Job Board. Ryan Wong, Sales & Marketing Director at CPJobs, said: “We are delighted to launch the Google Career Certificates Job Board, a one-stop platform for job opportunities requiring digital skills that graduates have learned from the Google Career Certificates Program, helping job seekers to realise their career goals with ease.”
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 19 April 2023 – Henderson Sunlight Asset Management Limited (the “Manager“), as manager of Sunlight Real Estate Investment Trust (“Sunlight REIT“), announces the operational statistics of Sunlight REIT for the third quarter of the financial year 2022/23.
At 31 March 2023, the portfolio occupancy rate of Sunlight REIT stood at 92.1% (31 December 2022: 92.5%). Office and retail occupancy rates were 91.5% and 93.3% respectively, as compared to 92.2% and 93.1% at 31 December 2022.
The overall passing rent of Sunlight REIT’s portfolio was HK$45.2 per sq. ft. at 31 March 2023, largely unchanged from the corresponding figure a quarter ago. Benefitting from the decent leasing demand for Grade B office properties focusing on service trades, the office portfolio registered a mild rental reversion of 2.1% for the quarter under review. While a negative rental reversion of 2.3% was recorded for the retail portfolio, the momentum of downward adjustment was clearly decelerating, reflecting the gradual recovery of the retail sector in tandem with the removal of social distancing restrictions.
In respect of the performance of key office properties, occupancy rate of Dah Sing Financial Centre was 87.1% at 31 March 2023, with a passing rent of HK$41.7 per sq. ft.. Meanwhile, Strand 50 experienced a drop in occupancy rate to 89.6% as the Manager decided to restructure the lease with a co-working space operator. On the Kowloon side, capitalizing on the improving consumer sentiment, occupancy rate of The Harvest rebounded to a satisfactory level of 95.7%.
On the retail front, occupancy rates of Sheung Shui Centre Shopping Arcade and Metro City Phase I Property were 91.8% and 92.5% at 31 March 2023 respectively, while their corresponding passing rents were HK$98.5 per sq. ft. and HK$55.0 per sq. ft..
Remarks: Attached operational statistics of Sunlight REIT for the third quarter of the financial year 2022/23.
Operational statistics for the third quarter of the financial year 2022/23
Property
Location
Occupancy Rate (%) 1
Passing Rent (HK$/sq. ft.) 2
at 31 Mar 23
at 31 Dec 22
at 31 Mar 23
at 31 Dec 22
Office
Dah Sing Financial Centre
Wan Chai
87.1
88.5
41.7
41.6
Strand 50
Sheung Wan
89.6
92.3
30.6
32.3
135 Bonham Strand Trade Centre Property
Sheung Wan
100.0
99.4
26.6
26.7
The Harvest
Mong Kok
95.7
91.4
41.2
41.0
Winsome House Property
Central
91.5
88.8
40.1
39.9
Righteous Centre
Mong Kok
99.3
100.0
35.1
34.9
235 Wing Lok Street Trade Centre
Sheung Wan
94.1
94.5
19.7
19.7
Java Road 108 Commercial Centre
North Point
98.1
96.1
24.6
24.8
On Loong Commercial Building
Wan Chai
100.0
100.0
27.8
27.2
Sun Fai Commercial Centre Property
Mong Kok
98.5
97.1
21.3
21.4
Wai Ching Commercial Building Property
Yau Ma Tei
91.7
97.2
17.0
17.0
Average
91.5
92.2
34.5
34.7
Retail
Sheung Shui Centre Shopping Arcade
Sheung Shui
91.8
91.7
98.5
98.4
Metro City Phase I Property
Tseung Kwan O
92.5
91.9
55.0
54.6
Kwong Wah Plaza Property
Yuen Long
97.0
97.8
53.8
52.1
Supernova Stand Property
North Point
100.0
100.0
57.3
57.2
Beverley Commercial Centre Property
Tsim Sha Tsui
100.0
100.0
29.6
29.6
Average
93.3
93.1
67.6
67.1
Average
92.1
92.5
45.2
45.0
Notes :
Calculated on the basis of occupied gross rentable area (“GRA“) as a proportion of total GRA on the relevant date.
Calculated on the basis of average rent per sq. ft. for occupied GRA on the relevant date.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this press release does not constitute an offer or invitation to sell or the solicitation of an offer or invitation to purchase or subscribe for units in Sunlight REIT in Hong Kong or any other jurisdiction. Hashtag: #SunlightREIT
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Sunlight REIT
Listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited since 21 December 2006, Sunlight REIT (stock code: 435) is a real estate investment trust authorized by the Securities and Futures Commission, and constituted by the amended and restated trust deed dated 10 May 2021 (the “Trust Deed”). It offers investors the opportunity to invest in a diversified portfolio of 11 office and six retail properties in Hong Kong with a total gross rentable area of approximately 1.3 million sq. ft.. The office properties are located in both core and decentralized business areas, while the retail properties are situated in regional transportation hubs, new towns and urban areas with high population density.
The Manager
The Manager of Sunlight REIT is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Henderson Land Development Company Limited. Its main responsibility is to manage Sunlight REIT and all of its assets in accordance with the Trust Deed in the sole interest of its unitholders.
Foreign tourists arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok on Nov 1, ( Photo : Bangkok Post )
The Tourism and Sports Ministry has delayed the THB 300 tourism fee collection for international visitors from June to September due to implementation issues and tourism operators have asked for more clarity on the same from the government.
Cambodia has secured a spot in the Guinness Book of Records for the world’s largest display of origami hearts, announced a Guinness World Records adjudicator on Tuesday.
Enhanced features, launched at the HIMSS 23 Conference, incorporates point of care functionality alongside extensive reference content
Chicago, US – News Direct – 19 April 2023 – Elsevier, a global leader in evidence-based clinical practice content, research publishing and information analytics, is announcing the launch of its newly enhanced clinical decision support solution ClinicalKey®, which includes an extensive drug compendium, a new mobile application and deeper integration into the Electronic Health Record (EHR). These new features provide physicians in the US and across global markets with easier access to comprehensive and reliable medical content at the point of care, helping them to diagnose and treat patients faster.
ClinicalKey is a global leader in reference use cases, providing access to market-leading, evidence-based content. The new features announced today mean clinicians can now additionally use ClinicalKey to access crucial, trusted summary information, all within a single source.
Josh Schoeller, President of Clinical Solutions, Elsevier said “Today’s clinicians are facing growing pressure as they provide care – more patients presenting with complex comorbidities, an increasing workload due to a global shortage of healthcare professionals, and a high volume of medical research output. Against this backdrop, we need to support clinicians by making the information they need as accessible as possible. Today’s enhanced ClinicalKey will make the lives of clinicians easier by providing a single, simple location to access the essential information they need at the point of care.”
The development of the next generation ClinicalKey was created with the needs of physicians in mind. Based on the latest findings, physicians spend half of their shift in the EHR[1], so clinical decision support must be deeply embedded in the EHR system. 80% of doctors use mobile devices at work[2] making access to a modern mobile app crucial for a point of care solution, and many clinicians find an increasing number of clinical questions at the point of care are about drug information.
The enhanced ClinicalKey responds to all these challenges:
EHR integration – with an EHR-integrated experience through SMART on FHIR, clinicians can navigate to ClinicalKey directly within their workflow.
Drug information – frictionless access to expanded drug information and tools to support clinical decision making.
Mobile app – a completely redesigned mobile experience that allows clinicians to easily access the information they need, when they need it.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About ClinicalKey
Patients rely on your clinicians at every moment in their care journeys. Clinicians, in turn, want to ensure they’re making the best decisions possible for those in their care. But that requires a lot of information gathering, coordinating, and keeping up with dynamic clinical knowledge. ClinicalKey streamlines access to consistent, evidence-based information to help clinicians do just that. From quick answers at the point of care to leading full-text reference material, it delivers trusted content to support clinicians and those in training who need to stay abreast of rapidly expanding clinical knowledge, quickly confirm diagnosis and treatment information, and advance critical thinking skills and research.
About Elsevier
As a global leader in information and analytics, Elsevier helps researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. We do this by facilitating insights and critical decision-making for customers across the global research and health ecosystems.
In everything we publish, we uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity. We bring that same rigor to our information analytics solutions for researchers, health professionals, institutions, and funders.
Elsevier employs 8,700 people worldwide. We have supported the work of our research and health partners for more than 140 years. Growing from our roots in publishing, we offer knowledge and valuable analytics that help our users make breakthroughs and drive societal progress. Digital solutions such as ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath support strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support and health education. Researchers and healthcare professionals rely on our 2,500+ digitized journals, including “The Lancet“ and “Cell“; our 40,000 e-Book titles; and our iconic reference works, such as “Gray’s Anatomy.” With the Elsevier Foundation and our external Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Board, we work in partnership with diverse stakeholders to advance inclusion and diversity in science, research and healthcare in developing countries and around the world.
Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.elsevier.com
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 19 April 2023 – IKEA has been committed to promoting global sustainability by incorporating various environmental protection features into our products’ functionality and manufacturing processes. In FY2022, IKEA globally reduced its carbon footprint by 5% compared to the previous year, and by a significant reduction of 12% compared to the FY2016 baseline which in other words, has approximately reduced 1.4 million tons of carbon emissions. This achievement is equivalent to planting 140 million trees on Earth. IKEA Global has also increased the use and coverage of renewable energy to 64%, creating a more environmentally friendly home-living for the public.[1] To echo with Earth Day, we are pleased to release the IKEA Sustainability Report FY22 and announce our annual sustainability activities in Hong Kong, reaffirming IKEA’s commitment and strategies in achieving healthy and sustainable living, circular and climate positive, as well as fair and equal.
Adrian Worth, Managing Director of IKEA North Asia, DFI retail group, said, “In the face of the global warming crisis, IKEA has been devoting effort in formulating proactive and comprehensive sustainability strategies to provide the public with a healthier and more equal living from the domestic life perspective. In recent years, IKEA Hong Kong has launched creative and forward-looking initiatives which made remarkable achievements. More and more co-workers and customers recognise our vision and join hands with us in fulfilling our social responsibility of protecting the environment.”
Those initiatives include:
Hong Kong’s First IKEA Microsite on Carousell: Collaborating with Hong Kong’s popular online marketplace Carousell to build a limited-edition IKEA microsite, where a collection of display items and discontinued models can be found at discounted prices. This collaboration builds up consumers’ awareness of reusing and reducing waste and achieves a sustainable consumption pattern.
‘Light Up Hope’ programme: IKEA joined forces with local charitable organisation A Plastic Ocean Foundation to organise the Light Up Hope programme to help improving the living conditions of families in Hak Pak Nai, which have long been suffering from natural disasters caused by climate change, by providing these households with electricity safety inspection, energy-efficient lighting as well as climate disaster education. 120 households in Ha Pak Nai benefit from the scheme.
UNDER HAVET Marine Conservation Exhibition: The Ocean Exhibitions at four of our Hong Kong stores were presented in a fun comic-book style allowing children and adults to learn that ordinary items around us can be the source of marine pollution and how simple daily practices can help conserving the ocean. The exhibition also shares IKEA’s approach to regenerating marine pollutants to contribute to marine conservation. These include the recycling of marine plastic waste into recycled polyester, which is then used to produce eco-friendly toys.
Blue Bag Fund: IKEA set up the Blue Bag Fund in 2019. For every IKEA blue bag (FRAKTA bag, M or L size) sold, IKEA donates HKD/MOP $1 to the fund to support our community projects, such as helping redesign the centres of two NGOs – Good Shepherd Sisters and Fountain of Hope in Macau. In 2022, IKEA donated over $800,000 to the Blue Bag Fund, supporting varied activities.
IKEA Tsim Sha Tsui Plan and Order Point: The Tsim Sha Tsui Plan and order point embodies the theme of healthy and sustainable living, selling over hundreds of sustainable furniture and accessories that match the concept of green and low carbon. This encourages customers to cultivate daily practices of waste reduction and resource conservation. Customers will learn tips about sustainability and concepts about green living from the labels posted in the surroundings.
Introducing Food Waste Handling Machine: We have installed a food waste handling machine in the Tsuen Wan store and the Kowloon Bay store, allowing co-workers to get informed about the latest situation efficiently and convert food waste to water. 5,000 kg of food waste is being processed every year, reducing the landfill’s pressure.
To encourage customers to join IKEA in promoting healthy living and sustainable development, here are five tips to help consumers practice green living while purchasing our furniture products:
Choose energy efficient LED light bulbs: Not only do LED light bulbs use up to 85% less energy than incandescent bulbs, but they last up to a 20-year lifespan. IKEA Hong Kong sold over 610,000 LED light bulbs in the past two years, saving energy consumption.
Choose taps with energy-saving water nozzles: Water resources issue has always been a concern. IKEA revamps the hand showers’ design by adding washers into all showers which reduces almost 30% of water consumption. We also added water and energy-saving devices in the kitchen tap which reduces water usage by nearly 50%. The new ÅBÄCKEN water nozzle can even control the water flow rate, effectively saving 95% of water usage. In 2022, IKEA Hong Kong sold over 4,000 taps and water nozzles, helping consumers protect precious water resources in their daily lives.
Choose HOPPVALS cellular blind: Summer is coming and there will be a surge in electricity demand. By choosing energy-efficient cellular blind, you can also contribute to environmental protection. The design inspiration of cellular blind comes from the honeycomb structure of bees that forms a heat-insulating layer to reduce the amount of heat entering indoors and families’ expense on air conditioning. In the past two years, IKEA Hong Kong has sold over 7,000 HOPPVALS cellular blinds which helps facilitate families to save electricity effectively.
Choose plant-based food: IKEA continues to research and invent ‘plant-based food’ which are both environmentally friendly and delicious. In 2020, we launched plant ball. These plant-based foods require less resources that produce fewer carbon footprints. In the past three years, the sales of plant balls at IKEA Hong Kong have reduced 6 million kilograms of global carbon emissions, that is equivalent to planting over 64,000 trees, providing the public with another option to build a healthy lifestyle. There is also an Earth Day 15% off promotion of selected plant-based food series until 26 April 2023, to encourage customers in choosing plant-based food.
Second Life for Furniture: A collection of display items and discontinued models are available at discounted prices in IKEA’s Bargain Corner, which provide consumers with alternative options when shopping for new furniture for the home. This also gives these functioning used products in good condition a second life, to reduce discard and waste, and achieve a sustainable consumption pattern.
In the coming year, IKEA will continue to promote sustainable development through different activities and strategies, including promoting more sustainable home décor and continuing the Light Up Hope programme to build a strong and sustainable community with our customers and alleviate the climate crisis.