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Boat Racing Festival Cancelled in Vientiane Capital

Scaled-down Boat Racing Festival in Vientiane

The Boat Racing Festival in Vientiane Capital has been canceled this year amid the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions.

Kerry Logistics Network and Hengan Group Form Joint Venture To Enhance Synergistic Competitiveness in Healthcare Products Market

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 October 2021 – Kerry Logistics Network Limited (‘Kerry Logistics Network’ or ‘KLN’; Stock Code 0636.HK) and Hengan International Group Company Limited (‘Hengan Group’; Stock Code 1044.HK), the leading producer of hygiene consumables in China, have set up a joint venture company to create synergy in the business-to-business (‘B2B’) bulk distribution and wholesale market of medical, healthcare and hygiene products. By combining KLN’s strengths in domestic logistics and distribution and Hengan Group’s industry-leading sourcing power and comprehensive portfolio in hygiene products, the joint venture company will have unique competitiveness in meeting the new demands of medical institutions and public facilities.

 

The joint venture company was established to explore a closer collaboration and provide innovative solutions to customers in both the public and private medical and healthcare sectors. While it is looking to expand its business into other Asian countries and territories going forward, the joint venture will also have full support of the “Banitore” brand of products, which are owned by Hengan Group, in the Hong Kong market.

 

William Ma, Group Managing Director of KLN, said, “We are pleased that KLN is joining forces with Hengan Group, a leader in hygiene consumables in the China market. This joint venture will not only enable the two companies to explore more growth opportunities in the medical, healthcare and hygiene products market, but also create a unique competitive edge for us to support our customers in meeting new challenges through the pandemic.”

 

Tommy Hui, Executive Director of Hengan Group, said, “This partnership marks the coming together of the best in two industries, leveraging Hengan Group’s leading position in the production of hygiene consumables in the China market and KLN’s established network in China and the rest of Asia, broad customer base as well as trusted track record in domestic logistics in Hong Kong. Our ongoing collaboration with KLN has been fruitful and we have high hopes for this new venture.”

 

In 2020, KLN and Hengan Group worked together to meet the community’s high demand for pandemic-related medical, healthcare and hygiene products including masks, gloves and toiletries.

About Kerry Logistics Network Limited (Stock Code 0636.HK)

Kerry Logistics Network is an Asia-based, global 3PL with a highly diversified business portfolio and the strongest coverage in Asia. It offers a broad range of supply chain solutions from integrated logistics, international freight forwarding (air, ocean, road, rail and multimodal), industrial project logistics, to cross-border e-commerce, last-mile fulfilment and infrastructure investment.

With a global presence across 58 countries and territories, Kerry Logistics Network has established a solid foothold in half of the world’s emerging markets. Its diverse infrastructure, extensive coverage in international gateways and local expertise span across China, India, Southeast Asia, the CIS, Middle East, LATAM and other locations.

Kerry Logistics Network generated a revenue of over HK$53 billion in 2020 and is the largest international logistics company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

#KerryLogistics

About Hengan Group (Stock Code 1044.HK)

Hengan Group was established in 1985. It is principally engaged in production, distribution and sales of personal hygiene products in mainland China. The shares of Hengan International have been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 1998. The Group has become a Hang Seng Index constituent since June 2011. Under the Hengan Group, BANITORE was founded in 1978 and is Hong Kong’s leading brand in First Aid supplies. Its products have been extended to most pharmacies, supermarkets, chain-stores, hospitals and clinics.

Oxford University Press (China) Hosts Education Leadership Forum to Celebrate 60 Years of Empowering Teachers and Learners

Pioneering publisher is committed to publishing leading thoughts and content for educators and learners to become future-ready

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 October 2021 – The pandemic has brought significant changes to the local education sector, challenging the ways we teach and learn. Since the school lockdown in February 2020, schools have evolved and relied more on education technology and digital resources to keep up with the pace of learning. Oxford University Press (China) (OUP), as a leading publisher, has put in extra efforts to support teachers’ changing needs and respond to the unpredencented challenges.

 

Today, Oxford University Press (China) announced the findings and insights of the “Are Teachers and Students Ready for Future of Education?” survey. (From left to right) Ms. Mei Mei Ng, Managing Director of Oxford University Press (China), Mr. Chu Wai Lam, Principal of Fung Kai No.1 Primary School, Ms Jenny LEUNG Head of 21st Century Learning Design Tai Kwong Hilary College, Mr. Albert Wong, Chairman, Association of IT Leaders in Education (AiTLE) and Ms. Masian Leung, Corporate Marketing Director of Oxford University Press (China) shared their responses to the findings and how they tackled the challenges of future education.

OUP furthers its supports to future-proof teaching and learning by hosting the Education Leadership Forum on 5 and 6 November which will gather over 20 international and local thought leaders to share inspiring insights in 18 webinars on a dynamic series of topics about future education, pedagogies and best practices. This Forum is well informed and shaped by the survey titled “Are Teachers and Students Ready for Future of Education?” conducted in September 2021, capturing the views of nearly 400 teachers from kindergartens, primary and secondary schools on future learning challenges and opportunities.

 

The survey shows that teachers have been positive in embracing digital transformation and proactive in sharing recommendations to further improve support in teaching and learning. These are crucial considerations when it comes to empowering the education community to take the necessary steps and embrace the opportunities that blended learning offers.

 

Key finding No. 1: The pandemic has accelerated the use of agile teaching and learning practices, including digital and IT tools, as well as blended learning

The average frequency of using digital and IT tools in teaching has increased from 3.2 times (during pandemic[1]) to 5.5 times (post-pandemic[2]) per week among respondents. Meanwhile, the ratio of teaching in classroom to remote learning has jumped 30%:70% from 90%:10%. The application of digital and IT tools and blended learning is clearly trending, and nearly three quarters of teachers (73%) claimed that they feel ready for the challenges brought by future education. However, they expect to take 2.8 years on average for overall teachers in Hong Kong to become future-ready. Science and Mathematics teachers showed greater confidence than language teachers.

 

Respondents ranked the top three elements necessary to enable the Hong Kong teachers to become future-ready:

  • Decreased workload to free up time to experiment new teaching approaches and education technology, exchange ideas and learn from peers (79%)
  • Adaptable teaching resources that can support different models of teaching and learning, including remote, blended and traditional (72%) 
  • Flexible curriculums to accommodate different models of teaching and learning (67%)


Key finding No. 2: Teachers are positively embracing digital transformation for future education, but expect more support

Despite of the challenges faced by teachers during the pandemic, the survey indicates a positive sign. In the post-pandemic era, confidence in teaching in the “new normal” has jumped from 59% to 80%. Besides, the teachers shared that the level of support in teaching after the pandemic has become more adequate that the satisfaction level has increased from 48% during the pandemic to 64%.

 

As the pandemic has evolved, teachers have shifted their priorities from essential items to support with more sustaining and forward-looking impacts, like more digital teaching resources from publishers (84%) and additional manpower to identify teaching resources (67%). The findings indicates that quality online education resources offered by publishers remains the major and most reliable resort for teachers as the pandemic evolves, reflecting a recognition of the publishing industry’s committed efforts in offering quality teaching resources to support teaching and learning.

 

Meanwhile, it is encouraging also to see teachers appreciating the benefits of leveraging digital and IT tools to tackle challenges in future education.

  • 88% are happy to have upskilled themselves in response to evolving learning needs
  • Blended learning makes teaching models and content more dynamic (84%)
  • 81% are positive about E-assessment tools which consolidate learning data, helping to address learning differences and enhance effectiveness of teaching and learning
  • More dynamic teaching models increase the level of student engagement (78%)
  • Teaching models and pedagogies can help address the needs of future education (65%)

Key finding No. 3: Time for the education sector to step forward and understand the needs and capabilities of both teachers and students, as well as embracing the effectiveness and opportunities brought by blended learning

As the end of the pandemic approaches, there has been a drop in use of digital tools from 76% to 62%. However, that figure still reflects the growing use of digital technology in education after the resumption of physical classes. While blended learning has now become an inevitable trend, the three key benefits of leveraging different teaching models and tools cited by teachers include:

  • Wider variety of teaching content and activities, such as multi-media and interactive tools (6.4 points)
  • Timely support to students, with consolidated learning data for evaluation and follow-up (5.8 points)
  • Higher flexibility in curriculum design (5.7 points)

Apart from benefits, they also pointed out some drawbacks, including workload in class preparation (6.9 points) and class management more challenging (6.6 points).

 

Nevertheless, more than two-thirds of teachers (71%) believe that students are ready for future education but strengthened training of soft skills will be the key to make the most of new ways of learning and working. The top skills named were communication skills (75%), analytical ability (68%), agility (68%), adaptability (67%), followed by collaboration and team spirit (67%).

 

OUP facilitates future-readiness with holistic support

OUP and its professional teams have strived to proactively provide quality teaching resources and support to schools, teachers, students and parents in the hope of ensuring they all become more future-ready.

 

“Since its inception 60 years ago, Oxford University Press (China) has been committed to furthering the University’s objective of excellence in scholarship and education with quality publishing for schools and the general public. Today, we are deploying our resources to support learning, teaching and research to make a significant and sustainable difference,” said Mei-mei Ng, Managing Director of Oxford University Press (China).

 

“As a close partner of the education sector, we fully understand the pressing needs faced by the community. We see ourselves not only a university publisher, but as a stakeholder with strong connections to everyone in the education ecosystem. It is fulfilling to witness how positively the entire education community has reacted to unprecedented changes with innovation, resilience and agility. Not to mention how much they appreciate the support offered by the publishing sector,” she added.

 

“Looking forward, we hope to work hand-in-hand to transform our expertise in teaching resources to enable more effective teaching and learning. In the Education Leadership Forum, which forms part of Oxford University Press China’s 60th Anniversary, education thought leaders will be invited to exchange their insights on the latest education trends. The goal is to inspire innovative ideas and spark actions for the future readiness,” she concluded.

 

Topics of the two-day Education Leadership Forum are tailored for educators from kindergartens to secondary schools, covering latest education trends, for instance, “The Strategic Priorities to Support Local Schools to Become Future-ready” and “Leading School and System Change in Post-Pandemic Time”, as well as subject-specific topics for Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics, Science and Music.

 

The Education Leadership Forum cum Oxford University Press China’s 60th Anniversary is now open for educators to enrol for free. Please register at:

https://www.oupchina.com.hk/en/education-leadership-forum/

[1] February 2020 – August 2021

[2] After school started in September 2021

About Oxford University Press (China) Ltd

Oxford University Press (OUP) is a department of the University of Oxford, and the world’s largest university press. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing quality books, dictionaries, and other materials worldwide. Oxford University Press (China) Ltd (OUP China) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of OUP.

#OxfordUniversityPress

Symphony is securely connecting clients to their private banks in Asia via WhatsApp and WeChat

London, United Kingdom – News Direct – 20 October 2021 – HSBC Global Private Banking has engaged Symphony – the leading markets’ infrastructure and technology platform- to develop and deploy HSBC GPB Chat, a client engagement platform that enables the private bank’s clients to interact with their relationship management team via one-to-one chat, group chat, document sharing and video/audio conferencing on WhatsApp or WeChat, in a secure and compliant way.

Symphony was the technology vendor selected due to its ability to deliver secure, compliant collaboration technology at scale; its expertise in audio-video conferencing; and its open architecture. This architecture has powered an integration that seeks to enrich the client experience.

Digitalization – as well as competition from non-traditional players – is raising the expectations of banking clients, who now benchmark their online experiences against the convenience of digital apps in their daily lives. This has created a demand for increased personalisation and a need to engage with banking clients on their preferred chat platform.

Symphony CEO Brad Levy said: “We are proud that our WhatsApp and WeChat integrations are allowing institutions like HSBC to connect with their clients through their preferred channel of communication and in a secure and compliant way.”

Symphony’s CONNECT solutions – with integrations for WhatsApp and WeChat – reduces the digital distance between a financial firm and its clients, and offers compliant connectivity regardless of the client’s choice of platform.

About Symphony

Symphony is the most secure and compliant markets’ infrastructure and technology platform, where solutions are built or integrated to standardize, automate and innovate financial services workflows. It is a vibrant community of over half a million financial professionals with a trusted directory and serves over 1000 institutions. Symphony is powering over 2,000 community built applications and bots. For more information, visit www.symphony.com.

Company Website

https://symphony.com/

LHH Study Reveals State of Great Resignation and Warning Signs for Leaders

Hybrid work is here to stay as employees demand more flexibility and work-life balance

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 October 2021 – As companies struggle with what workplaces should look like going forward, findings from a new LHH and The Adecco Group study reveal global workers’ attitudes about remote versus in-person work, how their companies have handled the pandemic, their career plans moving forward, the state of mental health in the workplace and the truth about the Great Resignation.

 

Findings from the Resetting Normal: Defining the New Era of Work study show that a large number of workers globally (53%) want a hybrid working model where more than half of their work time is remote. Productivity has not suffered with remote work, with 82% saying they feel as productive or more productive than before.

 

Wellbeing has taken a hit, however, with more than half of young leaders (54%) reporting they have suffered burnout and three in 10 stating their mental and physical health has declined in the last 12 months. In China, 40% of respondents agree that working remotely makes them feel less comfortable about taking time off sick.

 

“There is no doubt that there is an increased focus and higher employee expectation on the topic of wellbeing,” said Anders Lundholm, Managing Director – Hong Kong, LHH. “Regardless if the workforce is working from home or in the office  – there is higher employee expectation on flexibility and recognition both for their work contributions and their mental and physical health.”

 

Two themes that emerged from the study are that the Great Resignation is currently a Great Re-Evaluation for salaried employees and a growing disconnect between  leadership and their employees.

 

The Great Resignation

 

The study found that nearly two in five employees are already changing or considering new careers and 41% are considering moving to jobs with more flexible working options. A quarter of the workforce is considering moving to another country or region.

 

The market is ripe: two-thirds of workers are confident that companies will start significant hiring again, and less than half are satisfied with career prospects at their current company.

 

“The key word is ‘considering’,” said Lundholm. “What we’re seeing is actually not yet a Great Resignation when it comes to non-hourly workers, but rather a Great Re-Evaluation in which salaried employees are seeing more possibilities available to them, which puts everything on the table. Companies need to recognize the warning signs that great talent could soon be walking out the door and address demands for increased work-life balance and career advancement opportunities.”

 

The Leadership Disconnect

 

Study findings point to a large disconnect between employees and their managers and senior leadership. While 80% of leaders say they are satisfied with senior leadership, only 43% of non-managers are satisfied. Satisfaction with leadership is particularly low in the areas of company culture and career advancement opportunities. Among the findings:

  • Less than half are satisfied with career prospects at their company and only 37% of non-managers say their company is effectively investing in developing their skills
  • Only 48% of workers say their managers meet or exceed expectations for encouraging a good working culture
  • Just 50% of workers say their managers meet or exceed expectations for helping support their work-life balance
  • 67% of non-managers say leaders don’t meet their expectations for checking on their mental wellbeing

In China, 44% of respondents are considering coaching/mentoring leadership skills in response to the challenges of the last 12 months. And although 78% believe a leadership style focused on empathy and a supportive attitude will be important after the pandemic, only 27% believe the company will provide this.

 

“Employees need leaders to rise to the occasion by evolving their skillset,” said Lundholm. “There is an opportunity for companies to invest in coaching for their leaders so they can  better identify and address issues that could otherwise become the reason employees leave.”

 

For more information, download the Resetting Normal: Defining the New Era of Work whitepaper here.

About the research

The Resetting Normal: Defining the New Era of Work study was conducted among 14,800 workers in 25 countries. The study explored how attitudes have changed and the implications for companies to successfully adapt in this period of transition following the pandemic. Results are designed to uncover new perspectives and insight on what the future world of work can and should look like.

About LHH

In today’s marketplace, organizations are discovering the need to turn their attention inward to find their future talent. At LHH, we help companies see the possibilities in their people. Through assessments, coaching, upskilling, and transitioning, companies can realize the untapped potential within their own workforce, resulting in increased productivity, morale, and brand affinity.

A division of The Adecco Group—the world’s leading HR solutions partner—LHH’s 4,000 coaches and colleagues work with more than 12,000 organizations in over 60 countries around the world. We make a difference to everyone we work with, and we do it on a global scale. We have the local expertise, global infrastructure, and industry-leading technology to manage the complexity of critical workforce initiatives and the challenges of transformation. It’s why 60% of the Fortune 500 companies choose to work with us.

#LHH

Irish immigration is on-demand Bartra raised €6 million through the IIP in the two weeks prior to the official launch of its latest €33 million nursing home project

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 October 2021 – The developer behind a portfolio of four purpose-built, premium nursing homes costing €127m (HKD1.15bn) in Ireland is expanding its healthcare business to provide more much-needed nursing home beds and is well-positioned to fundraise the construction costs from Asia investors through the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP).

 

Bartra Healthcare, a subsidiary of Bartra Group, is adding Cookstown Tallaght, a €33m nursing home project (Phase Five) in South Dublin to its portfolio. The Group’s subsidiary, Bartra Wealth Advisors launched the project globally on 15 October to its IIP clients across Hong Kong and Shanghai in China, and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, and managed to snap up €6m in two weeks at the project ‘pre-launch’ stage.

 

James Hartshorn, CEO and Co-founder of Bartra Wealth Advisors commented, “We are glad to see our hard work has paid off. Many high-net-worth clients in Asia would like to immigrate to Ireland and they are confident in the IIP and Bartra’s nursing home projects on four fronts.

 

Firstly, Ireland is a rising star in Europe where it provides excellent education to children, which leads to good future job prospects as a result of its growing economy as well as opportunities in EU countries, the UK and the US. Secondly, the IIP provides fast track permanent residency status with great flexibility on residing requirements as applicants can immigrate without relocating. Thirdly, our integrated business model makes our clients feel safe. We are the only nursing home developer in the Irish healthcare sector to source, build and manage projects from start to finish as well as provide clinical care premium services. In Hong Kong and other major cities in China, and in Vietnam, we provide our clients with direct investment opportunities into our IIP projects including nursing homes. Finally, all the nursing home projects are carefully sourced and built in key Dublin urban locations where they benefit from excellent transport links and proximity to major hospitals.

 

These locations have a high demand for nursing home beds and the projects are built to meet the highest Irish Government (HIQA) and EU standards, qualifying Bartra Healthcare homes for government supported revenue models. Investing in our projects is not only very safe, but also capital guaranteed with a 4% annual interest rate, all factors favoured by our Asian clients.”

 

Ireland has become an on-demand immigration hotspot in Asia as an alternative to the UK, the US and other English-speaking countries. Affluent families are drawn to its outstanding quality of education and living standards as well as its accessibility to the EU and the UK (under the CTA Agreement), strong transport links to Europe and the US, and strong economic growth that perennially puts Ireland ahead of its European peers. Many industries such as pharmaceuticals, innovation and technology, and the financial sectors are fast-growing, with more foreign companies coming into Ireland to set up European headquarters and ensuring a thriving job market. All these factors make Ireland one of the world’s immigration hotspots. 

 

Additionally in Ireland, the Irish nursing home sector is facing a major shortage of beds thanks to years of under-investment following the recession in 2008. Because of this lack of beds, and coupled with Ireland’s ageing population where more than 15% of the population is now aged over 65, the demand for nursing home facilities is huge. CBRE’s 2021 report outlined that Ireland needs to build an extra 15 thousand nursing home beds over the next nine years to service this growing elderly population.     

This has led the Irish government to prioritise IIP investment in the delivery of critically needed nursing home accommodation. In Ireland, the Health Service Executive (“HSE”) also supports the private nursing home sector through the Irish Government’s Nursing Home Support Scheme (also known as the “Fair Deal Scheme”) which provides approximately 80% of the income for private nursing homes.

 

Bartra Healthcare was established in response to the acute and high demand for nursing home care in Ireland and is on course to become the largest private-sector provider with a portfolio of over 1,000 beds across at least 10 nursing homes. Bartra Healthcare has four projects in its nursing home portfolio, three of which are already in operation, while construction is ongoing on the fourth home, providing a total of 608 beds and costing approximately €127m. The latest project, Cookstown Tallaght in South Dublin, will provide a 131-bed nursing home, together with a pharmacy and cafe, and is expected to commence construction in 2022. The site is located in the heart of Tallaght, a thriving urban hub with a population of 80,000 making it one of Dublin’s largest suburbs, where it also benefits from excellent transport links – the Belgard Luas light rail station is just 250 metres away, providing access for both staff and the families of residents. It also boasts proximity to major hospitals, including Tallaght University Hospital, Ireland’s leading academic teaching hospital, which is less than a kilometre away, and St James’s Hospital, just 8km away.

 

The total cost of the latest project is approximately €33m and Bartra is seeking €20m investor loans (5-year term, 4% annual interest) from IIP applicants to fund construction. In the two weeks prior to the official launch on 15 October, €6m was secured from IIP investors in Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City managed by Bartra’s immigration arm Bartra Wealth Advisors.

 

Jeffrey Ling, Bartra Wealth Advisors Regional Director commented on the advantages of Bartra’s IIP nursing home projects during a Hong Kong seminar: “We are the only group that integrates development, operation and management in the IIP, run and managed by a dedicated division – Bartra Healthcare. Bartra’s nursing homes are safe, authorised and much-needed projects in Ireland, and they have a state-backed revenue steam. We are committed to the home quality and to providing our clients principal repayment and 4% interest per annum. The scheme is extremely popular among our Hong Kong clients, who said they can use the 20% interest obtained at maturity, which is circa HK$2 million, to pay their children’s education fees or to buy property in Ireland.”

About Bartra Wealth Advisors

Bartra Wealth Advisors (Bartra) is a subsidiary company of Ireland’s most successful real estate developer Bartra Group, specialising in providing independent Irish immigration investment advisory services. With well-established business, extensive Irish immigration experience, expertise in the investment field, professional landing teams and strong business network support, Bartra Group has successfully carried out a significant number of social housing and nursing home IIP (Immigrant Investor Programme) projects and has helped hundreds of families successfully immigrate to Ireland.

Bartra Wealth Advisors prides itself on delivering streamlined, in-group, end-to-end services. Its unique business model supports clients throughout their investment and immigration journey, from immigration advisory and government backed IIP projects through to exit executions. It maintains a 100% application approval rate and a 100% renewal rate. For details, please go to the company website https://www.bartrawealthadvisors.com/.

Bartra Insight

Premium nursing home care in Ireland

An alternative to UK immigration after Brexit

Irish education – a future for your children

Ireland’s property market

For more insights about Ireland, visit Bartra Wealth Advisors’ blog:

https://www.bartrawealthadvisors.com/insight/

#BartraWealthAdvisors

Fuel Prices Rise Again in Laos Amid Covid-19 Pandemic

PTT petrol station Laos

The government of Laos has announced an increase in fuel prices for the sixteenth time this year, bringing the price of regular gasoline to LAK 11,790 per liter.

Pacific Canbriam Energy Pioneers Emission-Reduction Efforts

B.C. natural gas with low-GHG intensity qualifies for new S&P Global Platts methane certificate

CALGARY, CANADA – Media OutReach – 20 October 2021 – Pacific Canbriam Energy Limited (“Pacific Canbriam”) is proud to be part of a first-of-its-kind deal that will generate Methane Performance Certificates (MPCs) – tradeable instruments that unlock the market value of reducing the environmental impact of gas production. MPCs allow a producer to sell instruments representing zero methane emission natural gas production.

As part of the inaugural launch, Macquarie Energy Canada, Ltd. a wholly owned subsidiary of Macquarie Group (“Macquarie”), arranged the first MPC trade between Pacific Canbriam and industrial gas customer Skeena Bioenergy Ltd, a manufacturer of wood pellets exported to the UK, EU, and Japan, displacing coal in electricity generation.

S&P Global Platts and Xpansiv, the global marketplace for ESG commodities, worked together to launch this innovative new way to measure and price methane performance in natural gas production. Pacific Canbriam and other natural gas providers who qualify will issue MPCs that register the carbon intensity of their natural gas, proving that fugitive methane emissions fall below strict, quantifiable thresholds.

The MPCs evidence the stringent environmental standards in B.C. and the low methane intensity of Pacific Canbriam’s natural gas. Only natural gas produced below a threshold of 0.1% methane emissions intensity (MEI) qualifies under the S&P Global Platts protocol. This standard reflects the market value of low methane emissions in natural gas production.

Pacific Canbriam Energy is a world-leader in minimizing methane leaks and vents in its operations, and its natural gas involved in this transaction is well below the 0.1% Platts threshold; the number of MPCs are calculated relative to an average methane emissions rate for North America[1]. Pacific Canbriam Energy is part of Pacific Oil & Gas, which is a member of the Singapore-based RGE group of companies founded by Sukanto Tanoto.

“With increasing focus on where energy comes from, Pacific Canbriam Energy is proud that the origin, energy content, and methane intensity of its natural gas has been externally verified as being responsibly sourced,” said Paul Myers, President of Pacific Canbriam Energy. “This is proof that our product is produced according to the highest standards of environmental and social responsibility. We’re excited and proud to supply MPCs to Skeena that demonstrate the exceptionally low methane intensity associated with the development of our natural gas.”

With global attention on climate change in the run-up to COP26, upstream energy carbon intensity is being closely watched and has prompted investors, consumers, and producers to seek new ways to reduce their carbon footprint. This has created an increased demand for low-carbon fuels.

“We chose to purchase Methane Performance Certificates from Pacific Canbriam Energy to voluntarily reduce the supply chain methane emissions intensity associated with our natural gas,” said Skeena President Roger Keery. “It’s an important step forward in lowering our overall GHG footprint.”

MPCs are registered, issued, transacted, and retired in accordance with the Xpansiv Digital Fuels Program to eliminate double counting. Xpansiv’s DF Registry maintains a complete record of the MPC and its associated environmental claims, ensuring data quality.

“MPCs allow the market to reward producers like Pacific Canbriam with low methane leakage, creating a clear market price related to fugitive methane emissions,” said Andrew Pisano, Head of XRegistries at Xpansiv. “We’re pleased to support natural gas market participants on their path to reach their ESG targets and climate commitments, and hope this incentivizes other producers to make similar measurable progress.”

Last month, Pacific Canbriam announced it had become the second natural gas producer in Canada to achieve an EO100™ Standard Certification from Equitable Origin. Equitable Origin is a leading standards organization that certifies energy production based on third-party verification that evaluates energy producers that demonstrate their commitment to the highest ESG standards in their operations.



[1] Source: “Quantification Framework for Digital Natural Gas and Methane Performance Certificates: Benchmarking Methane Performance, v.1.0”, Xpansiv, October 2021

About Pacific Canbriam Energy Limited

Pacific Canbriam Energy Limited is a private exploration and production company with a focus on liquids-rich natural gas development. Its principal producing properties and acreage positions are in the Altares and Kobes Montney regions of northeast British Columbia. Pacific Canbriam is an industry leader in water management and recycling, and unique in the ownership of all infrastructure. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta with an office in Fort St. John, British Columbia.

About Xpansiv

Xpansiv is the global marketplace for ESG-inclusive commodities. These Intelligent Commodities bring transparency and liquidity to markets, empowering participants to value energy, carbon, and water to meet the challenges of an information-rich, resource-constrained world. The company’s main business units include XMarkets, the largest spot exchange for ESG commodities, including carbon, renewable energy certificates, water and Digital Natural Gas; XSignals, which provides end-of-day and historical market data; and XPortfolio, the leading multi-registry portfolio management system for all ESG-inclusive commodities. Xpansiv is the digital nexus where ESG and price signals merge. Xpansiv.com

About Skeena

Skeena Bioenergy is located in Terrace, British Columbia, Canada next to Skeena Sawmills, one of the largest Pacific Coast Hemlock sawmills in B.C. The plant produces 82,000 metric tonnes of wood pellets annually for international and domestic markets. The plant incorporates state-of-the-art equipment that maximizes the value of all the waste residuals from Skeena Sawmills. Skeena Bioenergy is both PEFC & SBP third-party certified. Global energy producers use Skeena’s wood pellets to displace fossil fuels and dramatically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

#PacificCanbriamEnergy