HKGFA welcomes the clear commitment in the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the HKSAR (Five-Year Plan) and the Chief Executive’s 2026 Policy Address (Policy Address) to position Hong Kong as an international green and sustainable finance centre that serves the real economy. Both policy documents reassert the HKSAR Government’s steadfast dedication to sustainability integration across various sectors and ecosystems, cementing Hong Kong’s status as a global sustainable financing hub.
Many of our members’ recommendations submitted during the consultation have been clearly reflected in these two documents. The Five-Year Plan sets specific key indicators such as reduction in carbon emission per unit of GDP and share of zero-carbon energy in the fuel mix of electricity generation. Moreover, the continued focus on green maritime and aviation development, including green energy corridors, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) value chain development in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), and hydrogen certification. Other important commitments include Core Climate’s exploration of cross-boundary carbon trading and green energy certificates, as well as financing adaptation and resilience; and leveraging Hong Kong’s position as an international finance hub to support the implementation of green infrastructure and sustainable development projects along the Belt and Road. These priorities closely reflect the central themes of HKGFA’s consultation response and provide welcome clarity on Hong Kong’s green transition agenda. The Policy Address’s support for the Green Tech Fund, Hong Kong Investment Corporate Limited’s (HKIC) investment in new energy and green technology, and the commercialisation and internationalisation of green technologies further reflects HKGFA’s emphasis on scaling proven solutions, de-risking early-stage projects and building a transparent pipeline of investable climate tech opportunities.
HKGFA also commend the policies to achieve full adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards – Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB Standards) by large publicly accountable entities by 2028 to improve the quality of market disclosure, and the commitment by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) to issue transition‑planning guidance for the banking sector to boost the capability of banks in risk management in the third quarter of 2026.
Dr. Ma Jun, M.H., Chairman and President of HKGFA, remarked, “The Five-Year Plan and the Policy Address set out a clear, coherent and forward-looking roadmap for Hong Kong’s green and low-carbon transition. HKGFA strongly supports the Government’s strategic direction to deepen sustainable finance, advance carbon market development, accelerate green technology commercialisation and strengthen cross-border cooperation in the Greater Bay Area. These policy commitments will help mobilise capital towards high quality, bankable projects that deliver measurable environmental outcomes and reinforce Hong Kong’s role as a leading international green finance platform.”
HKGFA’s working group agenda for 2026–2027 is well-aligned to support the sustainability-related policy directions set out in the Five-Year Plan and the Policy Address. Key focus areas include climate adaptation and transition finance; Northern Metropolis and sustainable infrastructure financing; greening cross-border transactions and investments; implementation of sustainability disclosure standards; and carbon market development. HKGFA has also assumed the presidency of the Greater Bay Area Green Finance Alliance (GBA-GFA) for the term September 2026 to September 2027. Under this mandate, HKGFA will further strengthen support for Hong Kong’s Five-Year Plan and continue to proactively advance development and collaboration across the GBA through the mobilisation of green and sustainable finance.
Building on the policy directions already adopted, HKGFA is well placed to support the development of practical interoperability mechanisms across the GBA; project preparation and financing platforms for the Northern Metropolis, sector-specific transition pathways for hard-to-abate industries, and pilot structures for adaptation and resilience finance. HKGFA stands ready to continue working in close partnership with the HKSAR Government, regulators and market stakeholders to support the effective implementation of the Five-Year Plan and Policy Address, and to translate these strategic directions into investable project pipelines, credible transition pathways, interoperable standards, blended finance mechanisms and measurable implementation outcomes.
For a summary of green and sustainability-related measures set out in the First Five Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the HKSAR and The Chief Executive’s 2026 Policy Address, please refer to the link below.
Please refer to the full documents with links below for further details.
The First Five Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the HKSAR (2026-2030)
https://www.hk5yplan.gov.hk/2026-2030/en/plan.html
The Chief Executive’s 2026 Policy Address
