Under the lead of our GBA-GFA Working Group Co-chair (Ms. Florence Yip), HKGFA successfully brought over 20 HKGFA members and representatives to Qianhai on 31 July to deepen cross boundary cooperation, facilitating connections between Hong Kong’s financial sector and Qianhai’s innovative green solutions, and expanding opportunities for collaboration.

Recap of locations we visited:

1. The Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen

• Introduced the supporting policies and incentives for Hong Kong corporates and financial institutions to develop their business and connections in Qianhai.

2. Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub (EHub)

• The Ehub North District achieved an “Excellent” rating under Hong Kong’s BEAM Plus green building certification, showcasing how developers in the Chinese Mainland could benchmark against Hong Kong and internationally recognised green building assessment tools.

3. CIMC Enric Holdings Limited

• Following the world’s first methanol dual-fuel roll-on/roll-off vessel successfully completed its first green methanol bunkering operation in Hong Kong, the team learned about how CIMC’s green methanol production facility in Zhanjiang can support the development of zero or near zero (ZNZ) fuels for the maritime industry, as well as other industrial applications, marking a solid step forward in Hong Kong’s development into an international green marine fuel bunkering centre.

4. Shenzhen Qianhai Energy Technology Development Co. Ltd.

• The firm provides centralised cooling services for the Kai Tak Development Area covering 810,000 square meters of office and public buildings in the district. When compared to traditional cooling methods, Qianhai’s regional centralised cooling system can reduce carbon emissions equivalent to the carbon sink capacity of 5,000 acres of forest. Locally in Qianhai, the city has been planning and building 10 cooling stations. The existing 5 cooling stations can provide cooling services for 4.72 million square meters of space with a cooling capacity of about 190,000 refrigeration tons.

Qianhai, which is specifically mentioned in Hong Kong’s First Five Year Plan consultation, serves as an important nexus connecting Shenzhen’s innovation green tech ecosystem with Hong Kong’s international sustainable finance platform, playing a synergistic and coordinating role in the development of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area.

As an international financial centre, Hong Kong continues to fulfil its role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” by bringing together international capital, professional services and global standards, thereby supporting Qianhai’s development needs in transition finance and green finance. At the same time, Qianhai is accelerating the development of a hub for green technologies, covering areas such as green buildings, green methanol bunkering, clean energy, smart infrastructure and sustainable urban solutions. These initiatives provide practical and replicable examples to support Hong Kong’s green transition.

With the upcoming Presidency of the Greater Bay Area Green Finance Alliance (GBA-GFA), as well as ongoing efforts of the HKGFA GBA-GFA Working Group, HKGFA will continue our initiatives and support to strengthen cross-border collaboration in the region.

Our sincere gratitude to The Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen for their great support, and the HKGFA member participants (by alphabetical order):

• Arup
• AEC Environmental Consultant
• AECOM
• BEAM Society
• Civic Exchange
• DBS Bank
• Deloitte
• Eternal Capital Investments Limited
• The Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited
• PwC
• Vivien Teu & Co
• WWF