The Link Real Estate Investment Trust ("The Link"; Hong Kong stock code: 823) is ranked first among REITs in the East Asia region, according to the latest 2014 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) survey. In addition, for the second year running, it has been accorded  the GRESB Green Star status, and selected as an index component of the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index (DJSI Asia Pacific) in 2014/15, the only Hong Kong REIT included in the Index. It has also obtained the "Best Year-On-Year Change for Hong Kong" Award at the 2014 CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) Hong Kong and South East Asia Climate Leadership Awards. These global recognition demonstrate The Link's outstanding performance in implementing sustainability in its operations.

George Hongchoy, CEO of The Link Management Limited, said, "For The Link, sustainability is our strategic goal, our DNA, not a means to an end. It is widely embraced across our business functions. By linking sustainability with everything we do, we create long-term value for stakeholders and the communities we serve. We are honoured to have achieved recognitions from the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark once again, which affirm the strong foundation we have laid, and inspire our teams to build on our success to promote sustainability."

The 2014 GRESB survey shows The Link is the first among its peers in East Asia region, covering Japan, China, Korea and Hong Kong. It is in the top 100 among 637 business enterprises surveyed by the international benchmark. The Link has recorded a 10% rise in overall score when compared to 2013, and achieved scores higher than the peer average in all eight assessed areas, according to the survey. The Link will also join the GRESB Benchmark Committee so that inputs specific to the Asia Pacific region could be provided, and how GRESB can add value to the real estate industry could be better understood.

As the only Hong Kong REIT included in the DJSI Asia Pacific, The Link has once again surpassed its peers across numerous sustainability metrics, including corporate governance, economic, environmental and social criteria.

According to the results of CDP's climate change questionnaire 2014, The Link has achieved the highest year-on-year improvement among all companies in Hong Kong and South East Asia surveyed, reflecting continuous efforts it has made to track, manage and reduce carbon and energy impacts.

About Dow Jones Sustainability Indices
Launched in 1999, the DJSI are the first global indices to track the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. The DJSI review provides an in-depth analysis of financially material, economic, environmental and social practices, such as innovation or supply chain management, climate strategy and stakeholder engagement, and places a special focus on industry-specific risks and opportunities.

About Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB)
GRESB is an industry-driven organisation committed to assessing the sustainability performance of real estate portfolios (public, private and direct) around the globe. The dynamic benchmark is used by institutional investors to engage with their investments with the aim to improve the sustainability performance of their investment portfolio, and the global property sector at large.

About CDP
CDP is an international, not-for-profit organization providing the only global system for companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage and share vital environmental information. CDP works with market forces, including institutional investors, to motivate companies to disclose their impacts on the environment and natural resources and take action to reduce them. 		​
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