On 24 April 2026, the Seminar on Hong Kong Supporting China’s 15th Five-Year Plan Sustainable Development & Global Ecological Coordination, hosted by China Electronic Energy Saving Technology Association and co-organized by Hong Kong International Economic and Trade Cooperation Association and other organizations, was successfully held in Beijing. Centered on ESG as a core link, the seminar connected sub-venues in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Zhejiang and other regions, gathering over a hundred representatives from government, industry, academia and research institutions to jointly explore coordinated sustainable development pathways under the 15th Five-Year Plan. Lily Yeung, Senior Vice President of Asia-Pacific ESG Strategy Research Institute (APESG), attended the event online and delivered a keynote speech. Focusing on Hong Kong’s mature ESG ecosystem and industrial-financial resources, she shared practical solutions for empowering mainland enterprises’ green transition and high-quality development, delivering professional insights on cross-border sustainable collaboration between Hong Kong and the mainland.
Huang Jianzhong, Chairman of China Electronic Energy Saving Technology Association; Ye Herui, Level 1 Inspector of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and Advisor to the CSR Special Committee under the Association; Chen Qingdong, Chairman of China Hong Kong Economic Trading International Association; Wu Zhong, Director-General of the Finance Center for South-South Cooperation and other distinguished guests attended and delivered speeches. International guests including representatives from UN sustainable development bodies and global trade association Amfori were invited to participate, highlighting the seminar’s alignment with national strategies and international influence.
In his address, Chairman Huang Jianzhong stated that Hong Kong boasts prominent strengths in connecting global capital, aligning with international standards, advancing green innovation and technology, and building a sound ESG ecosystem. Taking ESG as a key entry point, the seminar facilitates mutual empowerment between Hong Kong and the mainland to support the country’s high-quality sustainable development.
Inspector Ye Herui remarked that China’s ESG development has entered a new phase of systematic implementation. He proposed leveraging Hong Kong’s advantages in green finance and standard alignment to set a model for cross-border coordination and deepen global ecological collaboration.
During the seminar, participants held in-depth discussions around four core themes: first, analyzing the overarching global logic of ESG and pathways to localize international standards; second, tapping Hong Kong’s mature experience in ESG disclosure, green finance and corporate governance; third, exploring new models of industrial-financial collaboration and green investment & financing between Hong Kong and the mainland; fourth, learning from domestic and international sustainable development practices to refine local ESG systems.
Lily Yeung, Senior Vice President of APESG, delivered a special presentation on the development of Hong Kong’s ESG ecosystem and how its industrial and financial resources empower mainland sustainable practices. She noted that the 15th Five-Year Plan has elevated Hong Kong’s positioning from “integrating into national development” to “integrating into and serving the overall national development agenda”, with green low-carbon development and the Beautiful China Initiative as core priorities. Hong Kong has built a sophisticated ESG ecosystem featuring clear policies, standardized disclosure, abundant capital and professional services, ranking among the world’s leading regions in green bond issuance and sustainable financial support. Against the backdrop of rapid expansion in the mainland’s green credit and green bond markets, she put forward three pathways — coordinated capital markets, industrial value empowerment and aligned rules and systems — to channel Hong Kong’s green capital, ESG compliance services and international connectivity strengths to key mainland sectors including new energy, green technology and low-carbon transformation. Casing green technology exports and cross-border photovoltaic projects, she demonstrated the huge potential of Hong Kong-mainland collaboration to accelerate delivery of the national dual-carbon goals and the green development vision outlined in the 15th Five-Year Plan.
Jointly Chart a New Blueprint for Sustainable Development
As a professional think tank and industrial-financial matching platform, Asia-Pacific ESG Strategy Research Institute (APESG) will build on this seminar to deepen cooperation with all sectors in Hong Kong. It will channel Hong Kong’s ESG ecosystem, green capital and professional services to fuel mainland industrial upgrading and support the delivery of national dual-carbon targets and the green development goals of the 15th Five-Year Plan.
Moving forward, APESG will keep building exchange platforms for sustainable development between Hong Kong and the mainland to advance mutual recognition of standards, two-way capital investment and cross-learning of technologies. It will accelerate the formation of a synergistic development framework of “Mainland industries + Hong Kong capital + global markets”, contributing professional expertise to China’s participation in global ecological governance.