- The report demonstrates Country Garden’s latest progress on environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments and its green and low-carbon development strategy.
FOSHAN, China, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Country Garden Holdings Company Limited (“Country Garden”) (02007.HK) recently released its 2021 Sustainability Report, systematically demonstrating its key practices and outstanding achievements in the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) field.
FOREST CITY
According to the report, as of the end of 2021, the company had completed the construction of 997 projects in compliance with the national green building evaluation standard, with a total GFA of 221.16 million square meters, representing a compound annual growth rate of 46.4% and 46.2% respectively from 2017 to 2021. In 2021, 61 additional green buildings that won certificates were constructed by the company with a combined area of 9.15 million square meters, while 124 new Sponge City projects were added with a floor area exceeding 8.65 million square meters.
In terms of technological innovation, the subsidiary, Bright Dream Robotics, made the final intelligent parameter adjustments to its spraying robot. It’s the first time such a robot has been showcased worldwide. Bright Dream Robotics passed the acceptance test of the “BIM + FMS + WMS + construction robot” multi-machine construction system in Shantou, and is the first construction firm worldwide to do so.
As of the end of 2021, Country Garden had nearly 50 types of robots under development, with 18 types of construction robots having been put into commercial application and rented or sold, involving more than 350 projects in 25 Chinese provinces. In addition, more than 730 construction robots have been delivered, handling a total applied construction area of more than 7 million square meters.
Furthermore, Country Garden continues to increase its investment in renewable and sustainable energies as well as green and eco-friendly technologies, while expanding the carbon neutral portfolio through Country Garden Venture Capital, its equity investment division.
In 2021, Country Garden Venture Capital achieved many milestones in the carbon neutral sector, investing in several carbon neutral firms including SVOLT Energy, Morion Nanotech and UtmoLight Technology. The company was listed in the “Top 10 Carbon Neutrality Investment Institutions” of the year by lieyunwang.com, and has entered the investment portfolios of Hang Seng ESG ETF, GX Hang Seng ESG, VSGXETF and multiple other ETF funds worldwide.
Meanwhile, Country Garden undertakes meaningful action to counter climate change and protect biodiversity.
An example is the Country Garden Forest City Project. In 2021, Forest City Fisherman’s Wharf and Sea Shell Exhibition Center began the installation of several solar photovoltaic power stations, with an anticipated installed capacity of 405kWp and estimated power supply of 480,000 kWh per year.
In 2021, Forest City won the Construction21 International Green Solution Award for its comprehensive solutions, among them, the water resources recycling and biodiversity protection project. It also garnered the SCAHSA Global Model of Low-Carbon City Planning and Design Award from Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards (SCAHSA) with its low-carbon and green development concept.
Country Garden engages in philanthropic actions while developing the core business.
To date, Country Garden Group and its founder have donated more than 10 billion yuan, and actively participated in targeted poverty relief projects in 57 counties across 16 Chinese provinces, helping more than 490,000 people move above the poverty line.
Country Garden founder and Chairman Yang Guoqiang and his family were China’s fourth most generous providers of charitable cash donations in 2021 according to the 2021 China Philanthropy List issued by Forbes China. This is the 13th time that the Yang family has been included in the list.
