Everbright Environment Tops Brand Value Ranking for China's Listed Environmental Protection Companies

20 April 2022, Hong Kong – The "Blue Book on Brand Value of Chinese Listed Companies 2021" (the "Blue Book") was recently published by the mainland China publication National Business Daily in collaboration with the China Business Research Centre, School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University. The brand value ranking of the listed companies in China's environmental protection industry was also revealed in the Blue Book. China Everbright Environment Group Limited ("Everbright Environment" or the "Company") (SEHK: 257) topped the list with a brand value of RMB14.622 billion - the only listed environmental protection company with a brand value of over RMB10 billion. Not only does the Company have a brand value that exceeds the sum of the companies ranked second to fifth, but it also has an annual growth rate of 47.3% (compared to the overall industry growth rate of 14.5%), highlighting its status as the leading player in the industry.

Everbright Environment is a leading enterprise in China's environmental industry and the first one-stop integrated environmental solution provider in China. The Company focuses on the four major areas of environment, resources, energy and climate. Its main businesses cover a wide range of industry chains and sub-sectors, including waste-to-energy and integrated waste treatment, integrated biomass utilisation, hazardous and solid waste treatment, water environment management, equipment manufacturing, research and development relating to green technologies, and ecological and environmental planning and designing. In 2021, despite the challenging business environment caused by a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic and fierce competition, Everbright Environment maintained a steady pace of development and continued to strengthen its position in the industry. The Company's brand influence at home and abroad has been further enhanced through its operating results, industry-leading technological innovation, proactive deployment of low-carbon transformation, continued development of quality projects, exemplary cooperation under the Belt and Road initiative, reputable corporate governance, and continued commitment to social responsibility. Branding is playing an increasingly important role as the core competency of the Company.

In 2021, Everbright Environment was shortlisted on the Fortune China 500 list for the first time, ranking in 283rd place. Meanwhile, the Company has been ranked first on the list of China's Top 50 Environmental Enterprises for three consecutive years and ranked first in the "Top Ten Influential Solid Waste Treatment Enterprises in China" for 11 consecutive years. In addition, Everbright Environment was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the 6th consecutive year and Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Benchmark Index for the 11th consecutive year. The Company also received the "Best Environmental Responsibility" award for three consecutive years and was selected as a constituent of the FTSE4Good Index for five consecutive years. Everbright Environment was also named the "Social Responsibility Brand of the Year" by the China Charity Festival for seven consecutive years.

The Blue Book also mentioned that with the support of the national "Dual Carbon" strategy and policies related to the in-depth development of the prevention and control of pollution, the environmental protection industry has entered rapid development during the 14th Five-year Plan period and is becoming a vital part in China's industrial structure and economic transformation. The brand value of environmental protection enterprises also has a broad scope for growth, and enterprises need to continuously improve their independent innovation capabilities, forge a more solid brand value, and make more contributions to the green, low-carbon and sustainable development efforts of China and the world.