HKEX “Green Asia Summit 2021 - Path to Net Zero” was successfully held in Hong Kong on Dec 9, 2021. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chairman of HKEX Laura M Cha, Chief Executive Officer of HKEX Nicolas Aguzin, Chairman and President of Hong Kong Green Finance Association Dr. Ma Jun, CEO & Executive Director of United Nations Global Compact Sanda Ojiambo and a list of professional guests attended the Summit.
In the panel “Net-Zero – Turning Climate Goals into Actions”, Nicolas Aguzin said that his biggest takeaway from COP26 is how different members of the society came in joint forces to tackle climate change. Dr. Ma Jun recollected the commitments made by Network for Greening Financial Systems (NGFS) during COP26, which started with eight central banks back in 2017 and now has expanded to involve 90 central banks. Ma Jun noted that as a member of the NGFS, China’s central bank PBoC has recently launched its decarbonisation facility which would offer unlimited low-cost funding for commercial banks with the low-carbon activities they finance.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor delivered her keynote speech at the Summit. “Talent and professionals in ESG (environmental, social and governance) are key to the success of building a green and more sustainable future”, said Lam. The Centre for Green and Sustainable Finance is also coordinating efforts of financial regulators, government agencies, industry stakeholders and academia in promoting capacity building and talent development in the ESG industry. Saying that climate change is an imminent issue for all, she pointed out that she reaffirmed in her latest Policy Address the government's commitment that Hong Kong would strive to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050.
HKEX also announced the HKEX Green and Sustainable Finance Book Launch during the Summit. CEO of MioTech Jason Tu co-authored the book by contributing a chapter named Financial technology applications for green and sustainable investments.
In the chapter, Jason discussed the new technologies and the trend of green and sustainable investments and sustainability fintech applications in China. Mr. Shusong Ba, Chief of China Economist, HKEX, and Ms. Grace Hui, Head of Green and Sustainable Finance, HKEX, acknowledged Jason Tu’s contributions and efforts in the book.