Alibaba.com Helps Consumers Go Green and Save Some Green

Oil Price Hike Drove Strong Demand for Solar Energy in 2008
HONG KONG--(Business Wire)--
The global trade in green products is increasing dramatically, according to
popular searches on Alibaba.com, the world`s leading B2B e-commerce company.

Analysts had forecast that the multibillion-dollar green products market would
lose momentum as consumers worldwide curtail their spending due to the economic
downturn, but this trend is not supported by data collected by Alibaba.com. In
fact, searches for alternative energy resources such as solar and wind, electric
cars, bio-diesel and organic products increased steadily on Alibaba.com over the
past two years, driven by growing mainstream environmental awareness, especially
in developed countries along with large-scale government initiatives towards
clean energy.

Historic rises in oil prices, which peaked at a record US$147 per barrel in the
third quarter of 2008, further intensified global attention on the need for
alternative energy. This is clearly reflected in the 67 percent increase in
searches, particularly for solar energy products, on Alibaba.com during the same
period compared to the third quarter of 2007, when oil prices were just US$77
per barrel.

Solar-powered energy and organic products are the fastest growing green sectors
on Alibaba.com, increasing 71 percent and 68 percent year-on-year, respectively,
in the first quarter of 2009. Solar lights are among the hottest green items
sold online as some countries in Europe as well as the US move to replace
traditional street lights with sun-powered alternatives. This trend is not just
at a governmental level, as businesses and factories also move towards solar
power for their outdoor lighting. Power savings and consumption reduction used
to be the main objective for this shift, but the recession has brought other
imperatives to the forefront, such as cost cutting.

"Despite the downturn, online trade in environmentally friendly products is
holding up well. This is because going green not only saves money but also
creates money, especially as more entrepreneurs develop innovative products to
support growing global demand. Also, many consumer-based green options, such as
switching to solar lights, both make economic sense and protect the environment.
Entrepreneurs and SMEs are realizing that green is good business, as long as
there is a fiscal motivation as well as an environmental one," said David Wei,
the CEO of Alibaba.com.

While consumers are lured to the "feel good" and cost-saving benefits of the
green sector, entrepreneurs see a new growth industry with lots of business
potential. Green technology is becoming more accessible to businesses of all
sizes as costs are declining, and favorable government legislation and tax
subsidies make it more sustainable. All these factors have led to exponential
growth of the market for green goods.

"Climate change is having a positive impact on our business. Our sales have been
growing by 30 to 40 percent over the past three years thanks to strong demand
for green products from customers in the US, Europe, Middle East and Southeast
Asia. Solar lighting products are our most popular selling items," said Xiao
Benpeng, the International Trade Manager for Huangshi Donper Mech-Electric Group
Solar Energy Co., Ltd., a Hubei-based company specializing in high-tech solar
energy products and a member of Alibaba.com.

According to US President Barack Obama's stimulus bill, 10 percent of the
funding will be allocated to environmental projects. In his inauguration speech,
Obama pledged that America "will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to
fuel our cars and run our factories," which has set the tone for the West, while
China is committed to generate 16 percent of its energy from renewable sources
by 2020.

"Around US$30 billion of China`s huge stimulus package is to be invested in
energy conservation and ecological engineering. These large scale projects are
going to have a major impact in driving awareness of green power and the desire
for smaller-scale eco-friendly alternatives will escalate significantly, if not
exponentially. Green is one of the new opportunities for entrepreneurs around
the world, and e-commerce is clearly going to be the platform through which a
significant amount of that business is conducted," Wei concluded.

About Alibaba.com Limited

Alibaba.com Limited (HKSE:1688) (HK.1688) is the global leader in
business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce and the flagship company of Alibaba Group.
Founded in 1999, Alibaba.com makes it easy for millions of buyers and suppliers
around the world to do business online through three marketplaces: a global
trade marketplace (www.alibaba.com) for importers and exporters, a Chinese
marketplace (www.alibaba.com.cn) for domestic trade in China, and, through an
associated company, a Japanese marketplace (www.alibaba.co.jp) facilitating
trade to and from Japan. Together, its marketplaces form a community of 38
million registered users from over 240 countries and regions. Headquartered in
Hangzhou, Alibaba.com has offices in more than 40 cities across Greater China as
well as in Europe and the United States.

Alibaba.com
Christina Splinder, +852 2215-5130
csplinder@alibaba-inc.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009