John Lee: Hong Kong plays an important role in green capital innovation and governance

At the forum, John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said in a video address that Hong Kong can build a bridge between green capital innovation and governance and play an important role, and will strive to turn dialogue into practical results. He pointed out that accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss both pose challenges, meaning the gap between green capital, innovation and governance must be closed, and Hong Kong can make many contributions in related fields. John Lee Ka-chiu said that, first, Hong Kong is Asia's hub for international green and sustainable bond issuance, accounting for 40% of the regional total, and has issued government green bonds with a total value equivalent to about US$33 billion, covering 116 green projects. Second, Hong Kong has excellent conditions for testing and developing new green technologies and serves as a bridge connecting green standards in mainland China and the rest of the world. Hong Kong's green hydrogen standard certification scheme, which aligns with both mainland and international laws, is a convincing example. Third, Hong Kong is proving through practical action that government leadership can enhance the city's ability to respond to climate change. John Lee Ka-chiu said that, to strengthen the ability to respond to climate change, the SAR government is establishing an interdepartmental group to build an "AI City Brain" system that provides risk warnings and trend forecasts and improves cross-departmental coordination on extreme weather, major incidents and public order. He believes Hong Kong can mobilize capital, apply technology and talent, and promote sustainable development in Asia and the world. He also said that the SAR government last month published Hong Kong's first five-year plan, which includes targets related to carbon reduction and environmental protection, including achieving a sustainable aviation fuel usage rate of 1% to 3% by 2030, raising the share of zero-carbon energy in the fuel mix from 25% to 30%, and achieving "zero landfill" and other goals.