The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Alliance for Green Commercial Banks (the Alliance), co-launched by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, hosted the second roundtable, "CEO Talk: BUILDING a Green Future", online today (July 14). The roundtable attracted participants globally from Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
The Alliance was jointly launched by the HKMA and the IFC in November 2020 to help banks develop the solutions needed to address climate change across emerging markets. As part of its knowledge sharing and capacity building efforts, the Alliance has been hosting a series of roundtable sessions on relevant topics. The inaugural roundtable "CEO Talk: Opportunities for Green Bank Transformation" was hosted on April 27, 2021. The series of roundtable sessions will equip participants with the knowledge related to green banking transition and will provide a platform for market participants across commercial banks, leading real sector companies, tech innovators, thought leaders, and regulators to share their first-hand experiences and intelligence.
The second roundtable commenced with opening remarks from the Global Senior Director, Financial Institutions Group, IFC, Mr Paulo de Bolle; and a keynote by the Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific, Citi, Mr Peter Babej.
The panel discussion was moderated by Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Edmond Lau, and featured the following speakers, who are chief executive officers and senior executives from leading international investor, financier, and property developer:
- the Chair and Head of Asia Pacific, BlackRock, Ms Rachel Lord;
- the Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific, BNP Paribas, Mr Paul Yang; and
- the Finance Director, Swire Properties Limited, Ms Fanny Lung.
During the discussion, speakers introduced the strategies and initiatives in greening the real estate sector, as well as opportunities in green building and related financing in Asia.
"By adopting green practices and offering new and innovative climate-friendly products, banks can differentiate themselves and increase their market share, capitalising on the potential of the green buildings sector and other climate-smart industries through sustainable financing," Mr de Bolle said.
"Green building financing is a win-win proposition," Mr Lau said. "The panel discussion today has exhibited that greening the real estate sector could create values for property developers, financiers and investors, while reducing the risks via improved resilience."
To encourage more dialogue on green building, the Alliance will host the "Practitioner Talk: BUILDING a Green Future" on July 21, 2021, where experts and leaders in green building, green finance and policy-making will share their experiences and insights on green building development.
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