Asian chain Emperor Cinemas Group has joined with Mastercard to use ticket sales to raise money for a reforestation initiative.
Emperor Group has joined Mastercard’s Priceless Planet Coalition, which is a platform that unites companies, communities and consumers in climate action and now includes more than 110 partners globally, including merchants, fintechs and banks.
HK$2 will be donated for every ticket purchased using Mastercard cards via Emperor Cinemas’ e-ticketing system in Hong Kong and Macau, supporting the coalition’s goal of restoring 100 million trees globally by 2025.
The move comes five years after Emperor Group introduced its online service fee waiver with a view to reducing paper usage.
Alex Yeung, vice chairman of Emperor Group, said: “The importance of sustainable development to Emperor Group is rooted in its 80-year history as a homegrown conglomerate, and has been further strengthened by the belief in the importance of conservation among staff members of the group. This collaboration with Mastercard’s Priceless Planet Coalition complements the group’s sustainability roadmap, and we look forward to accelerating our contribution to climate action and advocating for responsible approaches to development through this tree-restoration initiative.”
When the group first launched the online service fee waiver five years ago, on average 80% of Hong Kong moviegoers bought tickets in person at the counter. With the opening of Emperor Cinemas’ eighth cinema at Times Square, Causeway Bay in December 2021, this balance has reversed, with e-ticketing and online purchases now averaging 70%.
Helena Chen, managing director, Hong Kong and Macau at Mastercard, said: “The expanded partnership with Emperor Group reinforces Mastercard’s long-term commitment to supporting local businesses, not only through assisting their business growth, but also in opening up more opportunities for them to contribute to sustainable development.
“Through the Priceless Planet Coalition and collective climate action, this collaboration embodies Mastercard’s motto of ‘Doing Well by Doing Good’ and facilitates the development of Hong Kong as a smart city with an inclusive and sustainable digital economy.”