Hong Kong Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau: As of the second quarter, the asset management scale of Hong Kong ESG funds exceeds HKD 1.1 trillion, and green bond issuance has ranked first in Asia for eight consecutive years.

The Hong Kong Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau announced that as of the second quarter of this year, there are a total of 179 ESG funds in Hong Kong recognized by the Securities and Futures Commission, with an asset management scale of approximately USD 153.7 billion (about HKD 1.19 trillion). In terms of green bonds, the total issuance of green and sustainable debt in Hong Kong for 2025 exceeds USD 76 billion. According to the International Capital Market Association, the total amount of Asian international green and sustainable bonds arranged in Hong Kong is approximately USD 38 billion, accounting for 40% of the total in the region, maintaining the top position in the Asian market for eight consecutive years. The Cross-Institutional Steering Group on Green and Sustainable Finance established new strategic priorities this January, focusing on solidifying Hong Kong's status as a sustainable finance hub and expanding advantages in emerging sectors. The group's Transformation Finance Working Group just released its first phase of industry practice guidelines in May, with the information and communications technology sector as a primary example, exploring financing and investment practices at the institutional level. Members of the steering group will hold multiple events during Hong Kong Green Week in September, focusing on topics such as transformation planning and climate resilience. As for the government's sustainable bond program, by mid-August this year, the government has successfully issued a total equivalent of approximately HKD 258 billion in green bonds. In November of last year, about HKD 10 billion equivalent of digital green bonds were issued under the program, covering Hong Kong dollars, Renminbi, US dollars, and Euros, attracting a wide range of global institutional investors, including those participating in digital bonds for the first time. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau plans to introduce the "Hong Kong Sustainable Disclosure Roadmap" in December 2024, aiming for full adoption of the ISSB standards by no later than 2028. The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants was confirmed by the IFRS Foundation last June as one of the first jurisdictions to fully adopt the ISSB standards and was appointed this June as an official training partner of the ISSB. The Accounting and Financial Reporting Council is conducting a public consultation on the sustainable certification regulatory framework, with a summary expected to be released in the second half of this year. In terms of other measures, the government supports discussions with mainland and international multilateral financial institutions to establish a green accelerator in Hong Kong, using philanthropic and donation capital to support Belt and Road green projects, which will officially launch in the third quarter. The Green and Sustainable Finance Subsidy Scheme has been extended to 2027, and as of July this year, it has funded over 710 debt instruments, involving a total debt amount of more than USD 200 billion. The Monetary Authority released the Phase 2A classification framework for Hong Kong sustainable finance in January of this year, expanding to six industries with a total of 25 economic activities, planning to release a Phase 2B prototype for public consultation within this year. Regarding talent training, the three-year pilot program for green and sustainable finance training has been extended to 2028, with over 11,400 applications approved as of August this year, amounting to more than HKD 66 million in total subsidies. The Monetary Authority will also hold a Green FinTech Symposium during Hong Kong Green Week in September as a concluding event.