Unprecedented momentum has gathered this year for Chinese green technology and sustainability. Driven by three far-reaching global waves, the forces propelling green enterprises to go global are rapidly gathering pace.
Geopolitical volatility is the first wave. Conflict in the Middle East disrupted critical oil supply chains, sending energy prices into sharp fluctuation. Governments and companies alike came to recognize that overreliance on a single energy source was no longer tenable; accelerating the energy transition and diversifying supply risk became an urgent imperative. Second is the artificial intelligence wave. The immense computing demands underpinning AI systems create a staggering appetite for electricity, spurring rapid technological iteration across the entire ecosystem, from data centers and energy storage facilities to clean energy technologies. Third is extreme heat. This summer, unprecedented heat waves swept across much of Europe, with temperatures in some regions exceeding 40 C. In a striking illustration of what lies ahead, Eurostar announced that its next generation of trains must be equipped with air-conditioning systems capable of operating at 55 C, a specification set against the demands of the coming decades. The case for accelerating the green transition to mitigate climate change has never been more pressing.
Together, these three waves have sharpened the focus of global investors on sustainability. Morgan Stanley’s 2026 Sustainable Signals survey shows that over 90 percent of individual investors worldwide have an interest in sustainable investing, a figure that continues to reach new highs. Sustainability has firmly secured its place among the most closely watched investment themes of the year globally.
Amid these tides, opportunity goes to those who have built the right capabilities. After years of deep investment and development, Chinese mainland enterprises have established formidable global advantages across battery storage, photovoltaics, wind energy, the circular economy, electric vehicles, and hydrogen, both in technical sophistication and cost competitiveness. As green-tech and sustainability continue to gain universal recognition, and with the sector carrying lower geopolitical sensitivity compared to many others, mainland enterprises are well-placed to seize this window to showcase their technology, brands, and even Chinese green standards to the world, opening new avenues for growth in the process.
Translating this capability into tangible overseas orders and on-the-ground investment is precisely where Hong Kong’s role as a superconnector and super value-adder becomes increasingly vital. From identifying untapped markets and matching the right enterprises with the right destinations and strategic partners, to building relationships and providing sustained support, Hong Kong is making steady inroads, helping mainland green technology leave its mark on the global stage.
In June, InvestHK led its first new energy and sustainability mission to the United Kingdom, co-organized with the UK’s Department for Business and Trade. Bringing together 25 companies, the delegation spanned the frontiers of battery and energy storage, renewable energy and hydrogen, smart EV infrastructure, new materials, and AI. Roughly half came from the mainland, intent on finding pathways to international expansion; the rest were innovators from Hong Kong and further afield. That composition, in itself, speaks to Hong Kong’s role as the pivotal hub of a two-way green investment corridor.
Two weeks spanning London, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen may have been brief, yet the outcomes exceeded all expectations. A postmission survey of delegates found that over 80 percent planned to expand their operations in the UK within the next two years, with more than half already moving to quantify their investment commitments in concrete terms. Beyond the “go-global” dimension, UK companies also expressed keen interest in the possibility of conducting green-tech research and development and establishing intellectual property in Hong Kong, while leveraging the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area for large-scale production. The Northern Metropolis, too, has caught their eye as an area to watch. Through deep exchanges between delegation members and UK stakeholders, the mission also validated the strategic vision of Hong Kong positioning as a two-way investment platform for green-tech and sustainability.
To begin with, Hong Kong’s green financial ecosystem — one that attracts and mobilizes patient capital at scale — has a distinctive advantage. The city’s green and sustainable bond issuances have topped the Asian league table for eight consecutive years; in 2025, the city arranged approximately $40 billion in related bonds, representing around 40 percent of Asia’s total. As of the first quarter of this year, Hong Kong was home to 190 environmental, social and governance funds recognized by the Securities and Futures Commission, with assets under management reaching $139.1 billion. But Hong Kong is more than a capital aggregator; it is equally an incubator and accelerator for green-tech. One mainland energy storage system solution provider in the delegation is, with InvestHK’s support, currently undertaking early-stage international market engagement ahead of a Hong Kong listing.
InvestHK will continue to press forward on investment attraction and promotion, connecting these outstanding enterprises with the right capital, markets, and ecosystems, with Hong Kong serving as the showcase window through which the country’s most compelling green growth stories are told, one by one
A further value that sets Hong Kong apart is its ability to leverage its international environment and robust IP framework to help Chinese green standards reach a global audience. Beyond facilitating financing and the commercialization of innovation, Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to internationalize the nation’s leading green standards. Whether it is a fully integrated circular economy model spanning electronics recycling through to retail, photovoltaic vacuum glass panels adorning the tightly packed facades of high-rise buildings, or the refining of waste cooking oil into sustainable aviation fuel, Hong Kong offers a rich variety of internationally credible settings that help enhance the strengths of mainland green enterprises. Backed by Hong Kong’s IP protection regime and world-class professional services, we are steadily building a compelling narrative around Chinese green standards on the global stage.
As geopolitical uncertainty deepens, how to build in greater certainty and resilience during the go-global journey, and how best to safeguard corporate interests along the way, are questions that mainland green-tech and sustainability enterprises in the delegation have consistently raised. The next step is therefore to move from dialogue to practice: A series of go-global workshops will be organized for delegation members and other green enterprises looking to expand internationally, bringing in professional services providers from banking, insurance, and advisory sectors to share the latest market intelligence and practical guidance from a risk management perspective, helping companies prepare for the range of contingencies they may encounter. In parallel, InvestHK will lead another sustainability-focused delegation to Canada in September, extending the reach of Hong Kong’s two-way green investment platform even further afield.
Mainland green-tech and sustainability enterprises have made enormous strides in research, technology, and production, and in many other respects, they are already well ahead of the curve globally. InvestHK will continue to press forward on investment attraction and promotion, connecting these outstanding enterprises with the right capital, markets, and ecosystems, with Hong Kong serving as the showcase window through which the country’s most compelling green growth stories are told, one by one.
The author is global head of Financial Services, FinTech & Sustainability at InvestHK.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
