We play a key role in the development of green and sustainable finance initiatives to support Hong Kong’s position as a green finance hub within the Greater Bay Area and internationally.
Hong Kong
In September 2018, the SFC published its Strategic Framework for Green Finance, which covers three major areas: (i) enhancing listed company, asset manager and investment product disclosures and their consideration of ESG factors, especially environmental and climate risks; (ii) facilitating the development of green or ESG-related investment products, and supporting investor awareness and capacity building, and; (iii) promoting Hong Kong as an international green finance centre.[1]
The SFC has established an internal cross-divisional working group to consider policies to develop Hong Kong as a green finance hub.
In May 2020, the SFC initiated the establishment of the Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group (CASG) to accelerate the growth of green and sustainable finance in Hong Kong and support the Government’s climate strategies. Co-chaired by the SFC and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the group comprises of the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Environment Bureau, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), the Insurance Authority and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority.
The CASG announced its green and sustainable finance strategy for Hong Kong in December 2020 and will be following up with actions on the following five points:[2]
- Climate-related disclosures aligned with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations will be mandatory across relevant sectors no later than 2025.
- Aim to adopt the Common Ground Taxonomy, which is being developed by the International Platform on Sustainable Finance (IPSF) Working Group on Taxonomies co-led by China and the EU.
- Support the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation’s proposal to establish a new Sustainability Standards Board for developing and maintaining a global, uniform set of sustainability reporting standards.
- Promote climate-focused scenario analysis to assess the impacts on financial institutions under different climate pathways, such as through the pilot climate risk stress testing exercise for banks and insurers, and the use of scenario analysis by large asset managers.
- Establish a platform to act as a focal point for financial regulators, Government agencies, industry stakeholders and the academia to coordinate cross-sectoral capacity building, thought leadership and as a cross-sectoral repository of green and sustainable finance resources.
International
The SFC has been collaborating with overseas regulatory counterparts to consider the development of sustainability practices in the financial sector. The SFC is the Vice-Chair of the Sustainability Task Force of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). It also leads the Sustainable Finance Working Group of IOSCO’s Asia-Pacific Regional Committee.
We are a member of the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) and the Advisory Group of the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative. We are also a supporter of the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.
SFC initiatives
Surveys and reports
Carbon Market Opportunities for Hong Kong - Preliminary Feasibility Assessment (30 March 2022)
Circulars to licensed corporations
Green-related products
List of SFC-authorised ESG funds
Executives' speeches and remarks
Keynote speech at PRI China Conference: Investing for Net Zero and SDGs | Ashley Alder (27 May 2022)
Speech at Climate change and ESG investment webinar | Christina Choi (17 March 2022) (Chinese only)
Keynote speech at Green Horizon Summit @ COP26 - Pathways to net zero | Ashley Alder (4 Nov 2021)
Remarks at Bloomberg BuySide Summit 2019 | Ashley Alder (22 March 2019)
Green finance: an SFC view – Interview with Julia Leung (11 March 2019)
Training materials
Seminar on Management and Disclosure of Climate-related Risks by Fund Managers (12 October 2021)
Investor education
Investor and Financial Education Council – Green Finance
Principles of responsible ownership (PRO)
Hong Kong initiatives
Joint statement on the establishment of the Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group (5 May 2020)
HKSAR Government – Green Finance, Global Cooperation (My Blog by Financial Secretary Chan Mo-po Paul) (5 May 2019) (Chinese only)
HKEX – Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
Hong Kong Green Finance Association
Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency Green Finance Certification Scheme
International initiatives
Network for Greening the Financial System
Principles for Responsible Investment
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures
Sustainability Task Force of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)
Last update: 19 Apr 2022