Mastercard expands partnership with Emperor Group to promote sustainable e-purchasing

Mastercard has expanded its partnership with Emperor Group, who becomes the latest partner to join Mastercard’s Priceless Planet Coalition to encourage sustainable digital purchases. 

In honour of the Group’s 80th anniversary this year, the expanded collaboration will enable moviegoers to enjoy an e-ticketing experience while also giving back to the community by making it easier to act sustainably through digital purchases.

The two companies are elevating their partnership by collectively contributing to climate action. Starting from September, 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.

As a homegrown business that is dedicated to supporting the community, including through its ongoing charity work and youth development initiatives, Emperor Group has been taking action on sustainability in various ways. It was the first local cinema group to introduce an online service fee waiver to encourage the use of online ticketing and e-admission, which has transformed consumers’ cinema ticket-purchasing habits since 2017. 

The introduction of the e-ticketing system matched a growing trend of digitalisation and a shift to more environmentally friendly paperless options. When the Group first launched the service five years ago, on average 80% of Hong Kong moviegoers bought tickets in person at the counter while only 20%of them chose to purchase movie tickets online. 

With the opening of Emperor Cinemas’ 8th cinema at Times Square, Causeway Bay in December 2021, this balance has reversed, with e-ticketing and online purchases now averaging 70%, and only around 30% buying physical tickets. The ratio of online ticket purchases even reaches as high as 90% during peak periods. 

Alex Yeung, vice chairman, 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.”

Helena Chen, managing director, Hong Kong and Macau, 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.”

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