The International Association for Sustainable Economy (IASE) China Chapter was officially launched in Shenzhen’s Qianhai special economic zone on Tuesday, which is expected to drive high-quality development of the country’s ESG (environmental, social, and governance) industry.

The IASE China Chapter, which is registered in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, aims to better connect China and the world in the ESG field by building a “two-way bridge”.

“On the one hand, International Sustainable Finance and International Sustainable Business certification standards will be introduced to align with China's dual carbon targets and ESG disclosure policies,” Carmen-Daniela Micu, chair of the board of IASE, said at the opening ceremony in Shenzhen on Tuesday.

“On the other hand, China's experience in renewable energy, green finance and other areas will be incorporated into the global network, providing a ‘China model’ for a global ESG framework.”

China has set dual carbon goals: to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030, and to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

Mai Jiechao, chairman of the IASE China Chapter, pointed out that one of the major challenges of the global ESG industry is a shortage of talent. According to a 2025 white paper on sustainability-related talent demand, global ESG-related jobs increased by 64.5 percent during the 2022-23 period. However, over 60 percent of workers in the industry have less than three years of related experience.

The MSCI forecast that the ESG talent gap in China would hit 2.27 million this year.

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Hong Kong lawmaker Robert Lee Wai-wang said Hong Kong could play an active role in helping build the ESG talent pool in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Hong Kong, which positions itself as a green finance hub, is deepening cooperation with the Chinese mainland in the field, he said. Its green finance training program has already trained over 5,000 professionals.

“We hope that the IASE China Chapter will collaborate with Hong Kong institutions to enhance the Greater Bay Area’s ESG talent pool through mutual recognition of certifications and joint course development,” Lee said.

Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com