Climate Bonds Initiative welcomes Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited to joining the Climate Bonds Partners Programme
Hong Kong/London: 19/06/2020 13:00 BST: The Climate Bonds Initiative (Climate Bonds) welcomes Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) to the Climate Bonds Partners Programme. HKEX is one of the world’s major exchange groups with a strong focus and commitment to sustainability. The partnership celebrates the joint efforts of Climate Bonds and HKEX to expand sustainable and green finance development in Asia to address the urgent climate challenges we all face.
Mobilising international capital for green and sustainable investments is pivotal to enabling low carbon transition in China and the wider Asian region and achieving the Paris Agreement targets by 2050.
Yesterday, HKEX announced its plan to launch its new HKEX Sustainable and Green Exchange (STAGE), a first of its kind data and information platform focusing on sustainable and green finance investments in the region, another step in Hong Kong’s development as a green finance hub.
STAGE will promote the visibility, transparency and accessibility of sustainable and green finance across asset classes and product types. It will also act as a valuable education and advocacy platform, promoting knowledge sharing and stakeholder engagement in sustainable finance.
Sean Kidney, CEO of Climate Bonds Initiative:
“We welcome Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited to the Climate Bonds Partners Programme and we also congratulate HKEX on launching the Sustainable and Green Exchange (STAGE). We look forward to working closely with HKEX in championing sustainable finance and supporting issuers and investors in Asia for a green recovery and a climate resilient future.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic presents new opportunities for investors to consider their ESG strategies and for international capital to shift decisively towards sustainable investments. The launch of STAGE by HKEX is a timely development, instrumental in facilitating information and capital flows and enabling international investors to capture the opportunities arising from the region’s and China’s green transition in the new decade.”
Grace Hui, Head of Green and Sustainable Finance at the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited:
“As the global markets leader in the Asian time-zone, HKEX has a powerful platform to affect change. The launch of STAGE reflects our commitment and aspiration in leading the sustainability agenda in Asia.”
“We are excited to join the Climate Bonds Partners Programme and will continue to work closely with the Partners and other stakeholders to further develop the sustainable and green finance ecosystem in the region, and connect the rapidly growing number of green issuers and investors in a world where sustainable finance is becoming mainstream.”
Ivy Lau, General Manager China Office of Climate Bonds Initiative:
“We are excited to see Hong Kong becoming an influential actor in the development of green finance and low carbon transition. This is evident in a raft of recent policy measures rolled out by the HKSAR government and regulators. Climate Bonds is delighted to work with HKEX in providing credible green bond information that helps boost global investors’ confidence in Chinese and Asian green bonds. HKEX’s joining our Partners Program also lays the groundwork for increased cooperation between our respective organisations to build green, investment-based responses to the climate emergency.”
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Media Contacts: |
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Climate Bonds Initiative |
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Andrew Whiley |
Ivy Lau |
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Head of Communications and Media |
General Manager China Office |
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London |
Hong Kong |
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+44 (0) 7506 270 943 |
+852 6431 1275 |
Notes for Journalists
About Climate Bonds Initiative:
The Climate Bonds Initiative is an investor-focused not-for-profit, promoting large-scale investment in the low-carbon economy. It undertakes advocacy and outreach to inform and stimulate the market, provides policy models and government advice, market data and analysis and administers the Standards and Certification Scheme. For more information, please visit www.climatebonds.net.
Climate Bonds Partners Programme:
Banks, institutional investors, private and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and governments are eligible to join as Climate Bond Partners to help grow a market of green and climate bonds. Partners support investor and stakeholder outreach and education projects centred on growing robust and sustainable green bond markets that contribute to climate action and low carbon investment. Partners assist in developing initiatives to grow investment in climate finance solutions, participate in different market development committees & help define policy agendas for sector, country and sub-national green bond development programmes. A list of Partners is available here.