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Breaking Boundaries with the AFTEC Jockey Club Creative Futures Project

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Leading Educational Experts Convene at Knowledge Exchange Festival 2025 Navigating Collective Creative Futures through Arts Education

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 May 2025 – To foster greater understanding and facilitate dialogue on creative teaching and learning among stakeholders in education and the arts, AFTEC, with funding from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, presents the Knowledge Exchange Festival on 23 – 24 May 2025 at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum. This two-day festival, themed Navigating Collective Creative Futures, is a flagship annual festival of the AFTEC Jockey Club Creative Futures Project. It has attracted over 500 representatives from educational and arts communities to explore the pivotal role of creativity and creative thinking in talent development and industry innovation.

The Festival features distinguished guest speakers from overseas and Hong Kong, including Professor Anne Bamford OBE, Director of the International Research Agency and globally celebrated arts education researcher; Ms May Tan, Director (Education & Development), National Arts Council, Singapore; and Mr Irgel Enkhsaikhan and Mr Louis Schulz from Assemble Studio, the renowned London-based architecture and design collective and winner of the 2015 Turner Prize. These experts shared insights from the UK and Singapore, exploring how creative thinking shapes career development in the arts and beyond, and fuels cross-sector collaboration and innovation.

Two key panel discussions delved into pertinent topics. The first discussion, Beyond Teaching: Artists’ Creative Index, assessed the current professional landscape and future career pathways for arts educators in Hong Kong. The second panel, Nurturing Creative Talent: Creative Industries+, will provide insights into how different creative industries and medical sector utilise creative thinking to nurture talent and drive industry growth. Additionally, two interactive sessions will be held. Participants engaged in a children’s book illustration workshop, Into the Uncut Grass: The Role of Illustrations in Children’s Books, facilitated by illustrators, educators, and publishers. Another session, Fascinating!, a playful hat-making workshop led by Assemble Studio, offered attendees hands-on experiences in cross-sector creative practices.

Remarkable Project Impact, Pioneering Educational Frontiers

Ms Lynn Yau, Chief Executive Officer of AFTEC and Project Director of the AFTEC Jockey Club Creative Futures Project, said, “The value of the arts is often diminished by the pursuit of standardised answers. AFTEC is dedicated to promoting asset-based learning to eliminate the fear of being wrong. When teachers overly emphasise rigid curriculum frameworks and suppress creativity, students become reluctant to voice their thoughts, trapping classrooms in a cycle that focuses on deficits rather than potential. The key to transformation lies in education shifting from ‘compensating for weaknesses’ to ‘developing strengths.’ We do not need to hide weaknesses — instead, we empower everyone to leverage their unique qualities.”

Building on the success of an earlier pilot initiative, the AFTEC Jockey Club Creative Futures Project is a multi-level creative learning programme designed to build a robust community of arts educators. Participants employ interdisciplinary practical teaching strategies based on the 5Cs—Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Contribution—to co-design curriculum content. Through interactive, arts-based cross-disciplinary learning methods, creative practitioners collaborate with teachers to bridge traditional and creative classroom teaching, enhancing students’ creativity and learning autonomy. On the second day of the Festival, the Project will announce the 12 schools selected as Creative Schools, which will implement arts-based interdisciplinary creative learning from 2025 to 2028.

Sports and Culture is one of the priority funding areas for the Club’s Charities Trust. Ms Winnie Yip, Head of Charities (Culture, Sports and Community Engagement), The Hong Kong Jockey Club, highlighted in her opening speech that, “AFTEC truly prioritises students’ needs. The innovative launch of the AFTEC Jockey Club Creative Futures Project brings fresh energy to Hong Kong’s traditional education model.”

For further information about the AFTEC Jockey Club Creative Futures Project, please visit https://creativefutures.aftec.hk/home-en/.

Fostering Cross-border Exchange, Accelerating Creative Arts Education

To enhance cross-border collaboration in arts education, two other special sessions were held during the same week. The Hong Kong-Mainland Creative Learning Cultural Exchange 2025 brought together 34 distinguished educational professionals and arts educators from various provinces and cities in the Mainland alongside Hong Kong school representatives from the AFTEC Jockey Club Creative Futures Project. Under the theme “Integrating Arts and Education,” participants engaged in meaningful discussions, sharing experiences and exploring the transformative power of arts education.

Another session, Capturing Asian Conceptions of Creative Thinking, chaired by Professor Anne Bamford OBE, aimed to investigate how creative thinking is defined, prioritised, and nurtured in various Asian cities, highlighting cultural similarities and differences. Hong Kong served as the starting point for this research initiative, which will subsequently expand to other Asian cities. The session was attended by experts from the AFTEC Jockey Club Creative Futures Project.By bringing together stakeholders from the business sectors, creative industries, cultural and educational institutions, arts and creative practitioners, as well as stakeholders from medicine, social innovation, and entrepreneurship, the project seeks to comprehensively examine diverse interpretations and practices of creative thinking across cultures. Research findings will be shared with UNESCO and the OECD.

Hashtag: #AFTEC

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About AFTEC

Advancing creative learning and arts education in Hong Kong

Creativity allows us to recognise potential within ourselves and the world around us. It promotes problem-solving, nurtures relationships, cultivates resilience, and can transform lives in countless ways. At AFTEC, we work with students, educators, and creative practitioners to plant the seeds of creativity in our community.

As a proudly homegrown Hong Kong organisation, we nurture the city’s greatest natural resource — its people. Through co-designed, collaborative, and inclusive bilingual education programmes, we create supportive environments where young minds are free to explore, express, and flourish. We spark imagination, build confidence, and foster a sense of growth and belonging together.

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From Engineering Feats to Ecological Regeneration, Vinhomes Green Paradise Debuts the ESG++ Framework for Future Cities

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HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 January 2026 – For decades, the global map of urban development seemed firmly defined by familiar names. The United States shaped the world’s financial megacities; Dubai astonished the globe with audacious land reclamation projects; Singapore became a benchmark for disciplined, sustainable planning. Within that sweeping current, Vietnam was often perceived as a latecomer, observing, learning, adapting, and steadily refining its own path.

Today, that narrative is shifting. When Vinhomes Green Paradise confidently steps onto the global stage, alongside projects from the world’s most advanced economies, it represents far more than the launch of a new development. It marks a moment when Vietnamese urban thinking moves beyond its domestic context, ready to be assessed, debated, and recognized at a regional and international level.

This is not merely a project announcement. It is a signal of transformation.

When Vietnamese Cities Enter the Global Conversation

Vietnam has, in recent years, earned international recognition through prestigious awards in planning, architecture, and real estate, including the Asia Pacific Property Awards and the International Property Awards. These accolades reflect the growing professionalism and creative capacity of Vietnamese developers, architects, and planners.

Yet Vinhomes Green Paradise occupies a different dimension of aspiration. Its significance does not lie in a single master plan or architectural statement, but in a comprehensive urban philosophy, one where sustainability, advanced technology, and environmental responsibility are no longer supporting ideas, but core drivers placed on equal footing with economic growth.

In this sense, the project signals that Vietnamese expertise has matured. It suggests a readiness not just to learn from the world, but to engage in meaningful dialogue with it, and to contribute original thinking to the global discourse on future cities.

The choice of location is no coincidence. Can Gio is one of Vietnam’s most ecologically sensitive regions, home to more than 75,000 hectares of mangrove forests recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve.

Developing nearly 3,000 hectares in such an environment presents an unprecedented challenge. In a place where ecosystems are delicate and interconnected, any miscalculation could leave irreversible consequences.

Vinhomes Green Paradise emerges precisely within this context. It serves as a comprehensive test of urban knowledge, technological capability, governance capacity, and, above all, environmental accountability. Its implementation demonstrates that Vietnamese enterprises are prepared to meet the most demanding international standards in ecological urban development.

From Urban Project to UrbanNature Ecosystem

What truly distinguishes Vinhomes Green Paradise is not its scale, but its development philosophy. The project is not positioned as a conventional modern township. Instead, it is conceived as an integrated urban–nature ecosystem, where human life and the natural environment coexist in a state of long-term balance.

Green infrastructure, smart-city technologies, renewable energy systems, digital governance, and ecological restoration are woven into a single, unified framework. Globally, only a handful of pioneering cities, such as Masdar in the United Arab Emirates or Songdo in South Korea, have pursued such an integrated approach at scale.

The emergence of Vinhomes Green Paradise signals that Vietnam is no longer standing at the periphery of this movement. It is entering the arena with the confidence to participate, and potentially to lead, in the global race toward sustainable urban futures.

ESG++: Beyond Sustainability Toward Regeneration

While ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) principles have become a global standard, Vinhomes Green Paradise advances the concept further through an ESG++ framework, adding two critical dimensions: Regeneration and Resilience.

Rather than expanding by consuming natural resources, the project prioritizes ecological restoration, aiming not merely to minimize harm, but to actively return value to the environment. The vision is of a city that can generate its own energy, treat and reuse its wastewater, and maintain ecological equilibrium over time.

Urban experts increasingly agree that such models are essential in an era of climate change, particularly for coastal cities facing rising sea levels and extreme weather. In this context, Vinhomes Green Paradise contributes to defining a new benchmark for sustainable coastal urbanism, not only in Vietnam, but globally.

Building a megacity in an environmentally sensitive coastal zone demands deep interdisciplinary expertise, spanning geology, hydrology, ecology, materials science, and energy systems. The financial and technological investments required are immense, and few developers are willing, or able, to assume such complexity and risk.

It is within this demanding framework that the involvement of AOMI Construction Co., Ltd., becomes particularly significant. AOMI is the owner of the K-DPM soil solidification technology, one of the world’s most advanced solutions for soft-ground and land reclamation projects.

Drawing from Japan’s extensive experience as an island nation with limited land resources, Mr. Okori Katsumi, a Japanese expert, representative of AOMI Construction Co., Ltd., explains: “Japan has long faced constraints in land availability. For decades, we have turned to the sea, creating airports, urban spaces, and new living environments through carefully engineered land reclamation.”

Traditional methods, such as mixing cement directly with soil, revealed critical limitations in scale and transportability. K-DPM technology was developed to overcome these barriers by using high-pressure air to move and solidify large volumes of dredged material, reducing construction time while minimizing environmental impact through reduced reliance on sand extraction.

From Engineering Feats to a 21st-Century Symbol

Japan’s experience in land reclamation has consistently emphasized environmental protection, using containment barriers to limit water turbidity, and applying strict standards for pH levels and material compatibility with surrounding ecosystems. These principles are now being adapted and elevated in Can Gio.

For Vingroup, Vinhomes Green Paradise is not its first venture into coastal engineering. In 2017, the VinFast manufacturing complex in Hai Phong, over 60% of which involved land reclamation, was completed in a record 21 months, setting new benchmarks for speed and technical execution.

In Can Gio, the challenge has been taken further. The project benefits from consultancy by Dutch experts, representing a nation globally renowned for water management and land reclamation expertise. The objective extends beyond structural durability to the comprehensive preservation of indigenous ecosystems over the long term.

If land reclamation once astonished the world through icons like Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, Vinhomes Green Paradise seeks to redefine that legacy through a fundamentally different philosophy: Respect for nature and ecological regeneration.

This ESG++ megacity is more than proof of advanced engineering capability. It stands as a symbol of Vietnam’s national vision, one that looks toward the ocean not as a frontier to conquer, but as a partner in shaping resilient, future-ready cities.

Ultimately, Vinhomes Green Paradise is not simply a real estate development. It is a declaration of aspiration and confidence, a statement that Vietnamese urbanism has entered a new era, where healing people and healing nature are no longer separate goals, but a shared mission for sustainable progress in the 21st century.

Hashtag: #Vinhomes

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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HDBank completes issuance of US$100 million green bonds to international investors

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HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 January 2026 – Ho Chi Minh City Development Commercial Bank (HDBank, ticker symbol: HDB) has successfully issued a second tranche of international green bonds worth US$50 million to the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) and British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, completing its $100 million international green bond initiative in 2025.

HDBank’s international green bond programme strengthens funding diversification and supports sustainable, green and inclusive finance initiatives in Vietnam.

The announcement was made at “The USD100 Million Green Bond Issuance Disclosure Ceremony” recently held between HDBank and its green bond investors including FMO, BII and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – a member of the World Bank Group in the presence of the Deputy Consul General of the Netherlands and representatives from the British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.

The bonds included $30 million privately issued to FMO and $20 million to BII. The first tranche was issued to IFC, which facilitated the participation of FMO and BII in the second tranche.

The bonds have a three-year term, are non-convertible and unsecured and issued without warrants.

Nguyen Huu Dang, HDBank’s CEO, said: “Sustainable development goals lie at the heart of HDBank’s strategy, which is centred on delivering the best value for customers, partners and the community. This international green bond initiative marks an important stepping stone on our journey towards achieving those goals.”

The issuance help diversify HDBank’s funding sources, support its sustainable growth strategy and create a foundation for it to continue attracting additional international capital for green finance, sustainable development and inclusive finance initiatives in Vietnam.

This, in turn, helps customers access capital to deploy solar energy projects, electric vehicles, green buildings, and other energy-saving solutions.

Projects financed by the green bond proceeds must undergo rigorous screening, meet environmental and social risk management requirements, and comply with eligibility criteria under the Bank’s Sustainable Finance Framework. These projects are expected to reduce approximately 102,000 tons of CO₂ over 10 years, improve environmental quality and contribute to Vietnam’s Net Zero 2050 commitment.

Weichuan Xu, IFC’s lead for the Financial Institutions Group in Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR, said the issuance marked a significant step in expanding HDBank’s climate finance portfolio and advancing Vietnam’s economic and social progress.

“The funds raised will support projects that foster sustainable industries, generate jobs and strengthen communities,” he added.

Representatives from FMO and BII also highlighted the transaction as a strong signal of the growing readiness and potential of Vietnam’s sustainable finance ecosystem, helping attract more capital for climate-responsible projects.

With this milestone, HDBank reinforces its commitment to sustainable finance and the long-term prosperity of its customers, partners and the community, while expanding its presence on the global financial map.

Hashtag: #HDBank

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Hang Lung Enters the Next Phase in Its Sustainability Journey with Ambitious New Targets

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New targets outlined for 2030 following the successful conclusion of the 25×25 sustainability targets

HONG KONG SAR and SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 January 2026 – Hang Lung Properties Limited (SEHK stock code: 00101) (“Hang Lung” or the “Company”) today announces a new phase in its sustainability journey, unveiling 20 refreshed 2030 targets that build on its success in achieving its 25 x 25 Sustainability Targets.

Launched in 2021, the 25 x 25 targets defined Hang Lung’s agenda to the end of 2025 across four priorities: Climate Resilience, Resource Management, Wellbeing, and Sustainable Transactions. The Company has achieved its earlier ambitions, and exceeded targets related to greenhouse gas emissions reduction, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. Establishing such a concrete and robust set of targets also helped the Company develop practices in sustainability innovation and continual improvement.

Building on this success, now with expanded data, greater organizational maturity, and heightened ambition, Hang Lung’s refreshed 2030 targets reflect its position as an industry leader in sustainability.

The 20 targets for 2030 continue to be organized under the four priorities that define Hang Lung’s approach to sustainability, including the below highlights:

  • Climate Resilience: Among the first real estate companies in Asia to have near- and long-term targets fully aligned with the Science Based Target initiative’s Buildings Criteria and its emission reduction pathway (1.5°C). Also, Hang Lung is the first real estate company in Asia to establish a Climate Value-at-Risk target.
  • Resource Management: The first real estate company in Asia to formulate a target for biodiversity net gain (10%) on all new development projects and major renovations, supporting urban ecosystems and enhancing green spaces.
  • Wellbeing: Generate at least HK$40 million in social value through community investments.
  • Sustainable Transactions: Collaborate with tenants representing 25% of our leased floor area through our sustainability partnerships program.

Collaboration across the value chain remains central to Hang Lung’s approach, extending beyond traditional metrics. Hang Lung aims to partner with suppliers and tenants through quantifiable targets to drive progress upstream and downstream. In addition, the Company is committed to supporting innovation in standards development to facilitate impactful sustainability initiatives across sectors and jurisdictions.

Mr. Adriel Chan, Chair of Hang Lung Properties and Chair of the Sustainability Steering Committee, commented: “We are excited to embark on this next phase of our sustainability journey, reflecting Hang Lung’s growing role not just as a leader in sustainability action, but also in sustainability thought leadership. By working closely with partners across our value chain, we are confident that we can deliver on these commitments and continue to foster excellence in sustainable development in Asia.”

Mr. John Haffner, Deputy Director – Sustainability, added: “Over the past several years, we have seen how ambitious targets focus our efforts and help develop a culture of innovation. Building on our achievements and lessons learned, our 2030 targets are sharper and more data-driven, and will help us achieve greater impact in our communities.”

Full details of the 25 x 25 wrap-up and the new 2030 targets will be shared in Hang Lung’s 2025 Sustainability Report to be released in March. The report will provide further insights into the Company’s achievements, lessons learned, and emerging plans to support the refreshed 2030 targets, inviting partners and the wider public to join forces in shaping a sustainable future.

Appendix
Overview of 2030 Sustainability Goals and Targets

Priority 2030 Goals 2030 Targets
Climate Resilience

Reduce carbon footprint in line with science and adapt to a changing climate

1. In-use operational emissions: 56.1% per m2 reduction in scope 1, 2 and 3 in-use operational GHG emissions of owned and leased buildings from a 2023 base year.
2. Upfront embodied emissions: 42% reduction in upfront embodied emissions from a 2023 base year.
3. Renewable electricity: 70% of our landlord’s electricity consumption across the portfolio provided by renewable electricity.
4. Adaptation: 10% reduction in our Climate Value-at-Risk compared to the absence of implemented adaptation measures.
Resource Management

Drive efficient and circular use of natural resources and help regenerate nature

5. Energy Use Intensity: 10% reduction in the landlord’s energy use intensity from a 2023 base year.
6. Operational Waste: 35% recycling of municipal solid waste generated from operating properties.
7. Construction Waste: 90% recycling of construction waste generated from construction sites.
8. Water: 8% reduction in freshwater intensity from a 2023 base year.
9. Biodiversity: 10% biodiversity net gain on all new development projects and major renovations with landscape renovation.
Wellbeing

Foster safe, inclusive and healthy spaces that enhance quality of life for all stakeholders

10. Health and safety: Maintain zero work-related fatalities, serious injuries, and occupational diseases for employees and contractors. Maintain a Lost Time Injury Rate of 1.5 or below for employees and contractors.
11. Indoor air quality: Maintain, more than 90% of the time, PM2.5, TVOC and CO2 levels below levels defined in the RESET Air standard.
12. Employee engagement: Maintain an employee engagement survey rating greater than or equal to the 75th percentile.
13. Diversity: At least 5% of our workforce across the portfolio is comprised of people from diverse backgrounds.*
14. Diversity: Maintain Female-to-Male pay ratio of 1:1; maintain gender balance in management positions.
15. Social impact: Create at least HK$40 million in social value through our community investments.
Sustainable Transactions

Collaborate with key stakeholders across our value chain to advance our sustainability priorities

16. Tenant electricity intensity: Benchmarking provided to 100% of tenants across the Chinese Mainland portfolio and work with tenants towards a 10% reduction in their electricity intensity from a 2023 base year.
17. Tenants: Tenants representing 25% of our leased floor area in applicable Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong properties participate in our tenant sustainability partnerships program.
18. Suppliers: Regularly conduct ESG risk screening for 100% of active suppliers and provide ESG assessments for suppliers covering 50% of spending.
19. Procurement: 15% of spending on operational procurement qualifies as sustainable procurement.
20. Standards development: Undertake at least three innovative initiatives in standards development to help accelerate learning and sustainability impact.

* Our definition of diverse background includes people with disabilities and ethnic minorities.

Hashtag: #HangLungProperties

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Hang Lung Properties

Hang Lung Properties Limited (SEHK stock code: 00101) creates compelling spaces that enrich lives. Headquartered in Hong Kong and Shanghai, the Company manages a portfolio of over 3.5 million square meters of retail, office, residential, and hotel properties across Hong Kong and mainland China.
The Company’s diverse portfolio in Hong Kong includes office towers and malls in prime districts, as well as luxury residential developments in prestigious areas. In mainland China, under the signature “66” brand, the Company’s mixed-use and retail developments are regarded as premium landmarks, strategically located in the hearts of key cities of Shanghai, Shenyang, Jinan, Wuxi, Tianjin, Dalian, Kunming, Wuhan, and Hangzhou.
The Company is recognized for pioneering sustainability in the real estate industry, with an MSCI ESG rating of AA and inclusion on CDP “A List” for Climate Change. The Company powers 80% of its operating properties in the Mainland with renewable energy, with a net zero commitment by 2050.
At Hang Lung Properties – We Do It Well.
For more information, please visit .

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