In an era of rapid technological advance and global economic turmoil, successful and ambitious corporates cannot afford to rest on their laurels for a moment – even when they have a landmark anniversary to celebrate.

That is why the celebrations to mark CLP’s 120-year anniversary have been as much about looking to the future as reflecting on a long and extraordinary past.

Growing from a single generating unit in Hong Kong in 1901 to a leading energy company powering millions of homes and businesses in the Asia-Pacific region, today’s CLP is focussed on working towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.

Events marking its 120^th anniversary were held since early 2021 and included public events, community and stakeholder engagements, outdoor celebrations with hikes and treasure hunts, a city-wide dance challenge, a TV docuseries, and a commemorative booklet covering CLP’s past and present.

CLP’s Mainland China business also joined the celebrations by training up a group of Miao women to use their unique embroidery skills to create handcrafted tote bags as souvenirs, planting 120 trees each at seven power stations in five provinces, and producing a congratulatory video to mark the anniversary.

“The significance of the 120th anniversary is to take the opportunity to remind ourselves that the achievements of the company haven’t come easily,” says CLP Power Chief Corporate Development Officer Quince Chong.

“Our success is based on the unswerving commitment of all colleagues to the company's values, and to putting them into practice in society.”

The past holds critical lessons for the future. “Even in the face of many ups and downs, we can overcome any difficulties and move forward towards bluer skies and a low-carbon future as long as everyone holds the same belief,” Ms Chong says.

Harmonious celebrations

CLP recorded its first theme song – 120 Years of Shared Vision – to commemorate the anniversary and highlight the company’s commitment to supporting sustainable development.

Young CLP engineer Sammy Wong composed the uplifting song and performed it with a group of CLP colleagues including Ms Chong, CLP Power Managing Director TK Chiang, and CLP Power Chief Operating Officer Joseph Law.

The song captures the company’s spirit of togetherness and conveys its determination to overcome challenges and stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Hong Kong as the city continues to grow and develop.

Lessons from history

Celebrating a landmark anniversary in the middle of an unprecedented global pandemic called for a creative approach and strict protocols to ensure the health and safety of employees, stakeholders, and members of the public.

Throughout the year, CLP adopted a hybrid online-offline approach to roll out celebration events while respecting social distancing and other anti-pandemic measures.

Group Chairman the Honourable Sir Michael Kadoorie and his son Philip recorded a video in which they recounted the history of CLP while overlooking Chatham Road where the first generating unit of CLP was situated. Three CLP colleagues also took part in the video to share their thoughts about the company and its future. 

The triumphs and setbacks CLP have seen across the decades demonstrate the vitality and resilience of the Hong Kong which – like the company – has a unique and rich history of remarkable milestones and achievements.

A date with history

When the Hong Kong government lifted some social distancing restrictions in July as the pandemic stabilised, CLP hosted two sessions of 120^th anniversary celebration ceremony with senior government officials and stakeholders among the guests.

Officiated by Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam Sing, the event expressed CLP’s appreciation for the stalwart support of the government and the company’s stakeholders through the years.

Two months later, CLP rolled out a distribution box beautification project, which saw local artists highlighting the company’s deep roots in Hong Kong and its strong appreciation of the city’s history, culture, and values. 

Then – in the sunniest and brightest season of the year – CLP took its celebrations outdoors in November with adrenaline-inducing activities like hiking and treasure hunts to help people reconnect with nature.

The Hike, Hunt, Have Fun event at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden attracted more than 280 CLP employees and their families for a happy, healthy, and memorable weekend in the sunshine.

Rhythm of the streets

One of the most dramatic and energetic highlights of the anniversary calendar was a city-wide dance challenge running from October until 2022 called CLP We Love Dance.

The campaign – featuring a touring mobile truck equipped with a mobile dance mat designed by CLP engineers, community classes conducted by professional dance teachers for stakeholders, and an online family dance competition – encouraged people across Hong Kong to dance, save energy and help the underprivileged.

For every dance completed by participants, CLP offered five units of electricity as subsidies up to a total of HK$2 million to Power Connect beneficiaries, including elderly people, disabled people, low-income families, and tenants of subdivided units.

The anniversary events will culminate in a Danceathon – the grand finale of the CLP We Love Dance programme – in 2022 to round off the celebrations of the company’s 12 decades in Hong Kong in style.

Some of the city’s best dancers will be performing in teams and showcasing their fast-footed interpretations of the themes of love, electricity, and energy saving. Watch out for more detail of this not-to-be-missed show.

Bright new horizons

The celebrations of 2021 involving looking back on a rich past but also looking forward to a bright future, and stepping up CLP’s commitment to promote sustainable development and a greener future.

In September, CLP unveiled its updated Climate Vision 2050 strategy with a pledge to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 2050. 

The opening ceremony of the first new gas-fired generation unit at Black Point Power Station the following month backed that promise up with action, in a significant step forward for the city’s decarbonisation process.

The commissioning of the 550MW gas-fired unit has boosted the share of natural gas in CLP Power’s fuel mix to around 50% in 2020 from less than 30% in 2019, marking an important milestone in Hong Kong’s transition towards a zero-carbon future.

The 120 years of CLP history are filled with momentous events and milestones. The company has thrived in the good years with the people of Hong Kong, and stood shoulder to shoulder beside the people of Hong Kong through the lean years.

A year of anniversary celebrations have seen CLP celebrate its successes and express its gratitude to employees and the Hong Kong people for the extraordinary story so far.

But this is only the beginning of the story. Together with the people of Hong Kong, CLP will face up to the climate crisis and a fast-changing business environment as it moves forward confidently into a new century of challenge and opportunity.