Hong Kong is making a resolute push to accelerate the development of green and sustainable finance and advance an international carbon market, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu said on Tuesday.
In his opening remarks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Finance Ministerial Meeting 2026 seminars, Hui said Hong Kong’s Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (2026-30) sets out a clear vision so that finance can better serve the real economy.
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He said a prime example of the city’s push for sustainable finance is the collaboration between the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd's Core Climate and the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency to explore the special administrative region's participation in cross-boundary carbon trading.
“In doing so, we may leverage our financial strength as a premier international financial center to support our country in building a carbon market of greater international influence, thus creating a powerful engine for global environmental sustainability,” he said.
Under the city’s first five-year plan, Hong Kong is also stepping up support for small and medium-sized enterprises while reinforcing the city’s roles as a global offshore renminbi business hub, an international asset and wealth management center, and an international risk management center, Hui added.
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“We are also committed to developing a commodity trading ecosystem with gold as an entry point,” Hui said. “Together, these strengths position Hong Kong as a premier platform connecting capital, enterprises and opportunities across the region and beyond.”
The thematic seminars, organized by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Hong Kong, China, focused on trade and supply chain finance and green and sustainable finance, providing a valuable opportunity for the business community to contribute directly to the broader discussions of the finance ministerial meeting, which also opened on Tuesday.
