HONG KONG, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On September 8, Bank of China (Hong Kong) (“BOCHK”) and World Wide Fund for Nature (“WWF”) jointly organised the “BOCHK Green Forum 2026 & Sharing Workshop on Good Practices of Green Finance in Southeast Asia”. Themed “Together for Green: Empowering Corporates and Individuals across Hong Kong and Southeast Asia”, this flagship event of Hong Kong Green Week 2026 attracted over 200 policymakers, representatives of international organisations, experts, scholars and industry leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region to exchange insights on green finance innovation, low-carbon transition and sustainable development, and explore innovative practices in green finance. The forum also provided a practical and efficient platform for green finance cooperation among the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, promoting cross-border collaboration and experience sharing to accelerate the region’s green transition.
The forum commenced with welcome remarks by Wang Huabin, Deputy Chief Executive of BOCHK, followed by keynote speeches by Li Xia, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China; Li Xiaowen, Director of Women Workers Committee at National Committee of Chinese Financial Workers’ Union; Arthur Yuen, Acting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (“HKMA”); Matteo Marinelli, Asia Pacific Lead of Sustainable Finance at WWF International; and Shane Edwards, Head of APAC Client Coverage at MSCI, on a wide range of topics covering green finance development trends, opportunities for regional cooperation and pathways for sustainable transition.
During the forum, two research reports were unveiled, namely The Asian Way: Sustainable Finance Market Outlook in Southeast Asia and the Role of Hong Kong (Second Edition), jointly released by the Hong Kong Financial Research Institute of Bank of China, MSCI Institute and HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute; and Hong Kong Climate Awareness: Public Understanding, Risk Perception and Readiness for a Low-Carbon Future, published in collaboration between BOCHK and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (“PolyU”). The two research reports focus respectively on the latest trend in green development across Southeast Asia and the Greater Bay Area, and on Hong Kong residents’ understanding of climate change and preferences for green financial products. Together, they provide valuable insights to support green finance and sustainable development. Professor Lin Chen, Vice President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Business) of the University of Hong Kong, and Professor Wong Wing-tak, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU, attended the respective research report launch sessions as guest speakers.
The forum also featured a Sharing Workshop on Good Practices of Green Finance in Southeast Asia, where industry leaders from major Southeast Asian banks shared case studies on green finance initiatives. This was followed by an exchange session involving experts from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China, the HKMA and the Asian Development Bank, as well as scholars from local and overseas tertiary institutions, who shed valuable insights on the cases presented.
Wang Huabin, Deputy Chief Executive of BOCHK, said, “Climate change remains one of the most pressing challenges of our time, and no country or region can tackle it alone. We must work together through regional cooperation to address this challenge. As cooperation on sustainable development continues to deepen among the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, as a pioneer in sustainable finance, is well positioned to support its Asian partners with mature solutions and contribute to advancing green finance across Asia. At BOCHK, sustainable development lies at the heart of our strategy. Leveraging our extensive network across nine ASEAN countries, we actively connect regional green projects with international capital, helping to channel financial resources to where they are most needed. We will continue to bring together the efforts of corporates and individuals across the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia to advance sustainable development. Together, we can chart the way forward in the global green transition and support climate action in the region and beyond through the power of finance.”
Li Xia, Deputy Director General of Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center at Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China, said, “Green finance is a critical pillar in achieving global climate goals and advancing sustainable development. Under the theme ‘Together for Green’, today’s forum is not only a timely response to one of the defining challenges of our time for regional green growth, but also a powerful declaration of collective action. Hong Kong, as an international financial centre, possesses unique strengths in green finance and is well positioned to become a leading green finance hub in Asia and beyond, playing an indispensable role in channelling domestic and international capital towards green projects. Looking ahead, the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will continue to work with partners, including BOCHK, to support Hong Kong’s development as an international green finance centre and to guide more private capital towards projects and initiatives that generate genuine green value.”
Li Xiaowen, Director of Women Workers Committee at National Committee of Chinese Financial Workers’ Union, said, “Green finance in the new era has evolved beyond the traditional focus on green lending. Drawing on the experience of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a number of scalable and replicable green finance models have emerged, demonstrating the value of cross-sector collaboration. A notable example is the alignment of green standards across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, which leverages Hong Kong’s strengths as an international green finance hub to align with international standards and facilitate the mutual recognition of green projects between the Chinese Mainland and international markets. These efforts provide valuable experience for the development of green finance nationwide.”
Matteo Marinelli, Asia Pacific Lead of Sustainable Finance at WWF International, said, “We live in a nature-based economy – our economies, well-being and prosperity all depend on our most precious asset: nature. To support the acceleration of science-based landscape conservation in places where WWF works, WWF leverages a full set of complementary financial tools and solutions. For instance, applying the Landscape Finance Approach, combining both greening finance and financing green, will require funding for implementation across key landscapes. Unlocking private capital is essential to closing the nature finance gap. Looking ahead, WWF sees strong potential to collaborate with Chinese and ASEAN financial institutions — strengthening dialogue among regulators, promoting financial flows towards climate and nature through innovative facilities, and working with partners such as BOCHK to help companies navigate ESG and compliance requirements in the region. Together, our joint efforts to redirect finance towards nature would ensure a thriving planet for generations to come.”
Shane Edwards, Head of APAC Client Coverage at MSCI, said, “Sustainable finance in Asia is entering its next phase. Investors are becoming more selective about where they deploy capital, while climate and sustainability ambitions are becoming more deeply embedded in investment and financing decisions. The complementary strengths and needs of markets across Asia create significant opportunities for greater regional cooperation. Hong Kong is well placed to connect these opportunities with capital and expertise. At MSCI, our indexes, data and risk models help institutional investors better understand the opportunities and risks involved, supporting more informed investment decisions towards the transition.”
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SOURCE Bank of China (Hong Kong)
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