HKEX unveils plans for Sustainable and Green Exchange
The online repository of sustainability, green and social bonds and ESG-related Exchange Traded Products is set to be launched in its initial phase later this year.
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) today unveiled its plans to launch the HKEX Sustainable and Green Exchange, ‘STAGE’. The new information platform is poised to become a central hub for data and information on sustainable and green finance investments in the region.
STAGE will aim to promote the visibility, transparency, and accessibility of sustainable and green finance across asset class and product type. It will provide investors with access to a comprehensive database of sustainable and green investment options that are available on Hong Kong’s securities markets. It will also act as a valuable education and advocacy platform, promoting knowledge sharing and stakeholder engagement in sustainable finance.
“The launch of STAGE demonstrates HKEX’s strong commitment to sustainability. By encouraging issuers, investors, asset managers, market participants and advisors to play an active role in enhancing the sustainable and green finance ecosystem in Hong Kong and the region, we are in turn reinforcing the sustainability of our own market,” said HKEX Head of Green and Sustainable Finance, Grace Hui.
In its initial phase, STAGE will be home to a repository of information on sustainability, green and social bonds and ESG-related Exchange Traded Products listed on HKEX. Issuers with products that meet international standards or principles and provide post-issuance reports annually are invited to join STAGE without the need to pay any fees and to display their products on the platform. The online repository will be launched as early as later this year.
HKEX will further develop the platform in response to the evolving market landscape, and over time will consider expanding its coverage to introduce more asset classes and product types, such as derivative products linked to relevant sustainability or environmental, social, and governance indices, as well as other sustainable and green financial products.
There has been considerable growth of sustainable and green investment funding in the region in recent years: Green bond issuances in Asia-Pacific hit record levels in 2019, raising US$18.89 billion, with Mainland China’s green bond market alone accounting for US$8.13 billion.
