At the "The Year Ahead 2026" Summit held in Shanghai on November 28, Liu Yifei, Head of Sustainable Development at BANK OF CHINA (Hong Kong) Limited, delivered a keynote speech outlining the bank's green finance initiatives.
Liu revealed that BANK OF CHINA (Hong Kong) has pioneered Asia’s first environmental and social risk rating system, integrating sustainability metrics into the entire credit evaluation process. The seven-tier rating framework directly links to corporate credit assessments—top-tier borrowers may receive rating upgrades, while lowest-tier cases require escalated approval to the CEO or board level.
He emphasized that this mechanism ties environmental performance to financing costs, incentivizing companies to pursue green transformation. The bank’s green and transition activity standards harmonize regulations from China, ASEAN, and Europe, establishing a unified benchmark for regional sustainable finance.
Liu highlighted Hong Kong’s dual role as both an international financing hub and a springboard for corporate green expansion. Citing the example of BANK OF CHINA (Hong Kong) financing hydrogen battery installations in a European building that achieved top-tier green certification, he demonstrated finance’s catalytic role in technology adoption.
Leveraging Hong Kong’s globally recognized certification systems and professional networks, the bank helps businesses navigate EU carbon verification challenges. "By embedding climate risk analysis into sector assessments, we’re developing a standardized green finance network spanning mainland China and Southeast Asia to boost financing efficiency and support high-quality corporate transitions," Liu concluded.
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