Rapid growth of green financing and the launch of carbon-credit trading by the local bourse are turning Hong Kong into a leading sustainable finance hub in Asia, financiers said ahead of a key summit this week.
“The Hong Kong government is a leading issuer in green bonds for the construction of green yield curve, and this can further develop Hong Kong as a green finance centre globally,” said Rhee Jung-ho, president and CEO of Mirae Asset Global Investments . Hong Kong has attracted a substantial number of mainland and overseas institutions such as multilateral banks to issue green bonds.
Hainan, the southernmost province in mainland China, issued the first batch of sustainability dim sum bonds by a Chinese provincial government , worth 5 billion yuan, in Hong Kong last week. Credit Agricole was a joint lead manager and joint book runner of the deal.
“There is opportunity for Hong Kong to play a leading role in this ecosystem as a prominent financial centre for the issuance of green, social and sustainability bonds,” Anderson said.