香港地球之友綠色金融顧問

英國著名物理學家史蒂芬·霍金除了他的宇宙觀聞名於世，生前亦留下不少警醒語錄，告誡人類氣候變化會是導致人類滅亡的危機。他生前在媒體訪問中形容，依照人類目前排放溫室氣體的趨勢，地球的溫度將不斷上升，他朝或將成為另一個不能夠居住的金星。

在太陽系中，金星是第二最接近太陽的行星，據美國太空總署研究，40億年前的金星很像地球，在大約20億年間，金星有海洋，溫度適合生物居住，但因溫室效應令氣候改變，把它變成了一個熾熱的行星，而令一切生物化為灰燼。因此，若地球大氣中的溫室氣體達到極限水平，地球或會發生類似情形，而霍金預言人類只剩98年（2018年往後的100年）便要移民到其他外星星體。

面對實行變革的時間有限，「環保愛地球」的概念已經不合時宜，更重要是應將氣候變化視之為一種「風險」，而不是可做可不做的「社會責任」。

衣食住行是人類生存的基本需要，而財富則是決定質量的重要一環，因此要應對氣候變化必須從這五方面著手。

由於衣食住行與民生息息相關，近年已有不少改善方案，例如坊間有採用環保物料的「衣」服及時裝品牌，而香港地球之友亦自2001年起推行舊「衣」回收；坊間亦冒起用純植物取代肉類的未來「食」物，以減少進食肉類產生的碳排放；在策劃大廈樓宇時將大自然的資源（天然光線及良好通風等）納入建築設計的考量當中，塑造綠色「住」所；「行」則有電動車和生物柴油等。

可惜與財富掛勾的金融市場在過去數年卻裹足不前，雖然被視為國際金融中心的香港早在2016年已有綠色債券發行，但發行債券的企業在取得資金後卻鮮有消息，在綠色項目的投資上亦從未交待進程，仿如無人監管，令升斗市民不禁誤以為綠色金融又是政府的「形象工程」。

近月，金管局及證監會宣布成立綠色及可持續金融跨機構督導小組，推動香港可持續金融的發展，而金管局亦在6月發布《綠色及可持續銀行業白皮書》，並計劃2021年第一季進行首個氣候變化壓力測試，或先從銀行業界著手，以減低氣候變化對銀行業務的潛在風險，長遠計劃拓展至其他行業。

但歸根究底，綠色金融不只是與業界相關，而市民應是更重要的持分者。在欠缺解釋及推廣的前提下，市民根本上認為綠色金融事不關己，更遑論要推動香港成為綠色金融中心，試問又如何能移風易俗呢？

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Event reminder for this week: 2019-2020 Green Finance Seminar Series – Session 4: Promoting Innovative Green Financing for Belt & Road Initiative
Organised by: HKQAA
Date & Time: 17th July 2:30 – 5pm
Location: Theatre R1&R2, United Conference Centre, 10/F., United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong

*Felix Lam, Green Finance Advisor of Friends of the Earth (HK) will share his latest insights on this topic.

The Hong Kong government has prioritised green finance as a key strategy, aiming to capitalise on the city’s financial strength to foster sustainable businesses.

HKQAA is engaging business leaders and environmental experts to shed light on the development of green finance in worldwide and the potential business opportunities brought by green finance.

Check out the posters of the event: English / Chinese
For more information, please visit the website: https://www.hkgreenfinance.org/event/seminar-of-2019-2020-green-finance-seminar-series-session-4-promoting-innovative-green-financing-for-belt-road-initiative/

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Webinar events for this week:

  1. Webinar: Asia Infrastructure Finance Leadership Series – Winds of change, Rays of Hope
    Organised by: The Asset
    Date & Time: 15th July 5 – 6pm

    The pandemic is transforming the world’s energy usage. While global demand for coal is plummeting, the transition to renewable energy is accelerating. In Asia, a slew of clean energy projects, particularly solar and wind power, have come to the market, introducing new sponsors and new sources of financing – including in the local currency. The adoption of disruptive technologies could also play a key role in this space.

  2. Webinar: COVID-19 Crisis – A Test for EM Sovereign Bond Investors
    Organised by: PRI
    Date & Time: 15th July 9pm HKT

    The COVID-19 crisis is hitting emerging economies more than developed countries. Beyond the immediate health and economic emergency, the pandemic will take a toll on countries that are heavily reliant on commodity exports, global trade, tourism and external financing. This webinar will look at the consequences for emerging market credit risk, the opportunities for a ‘greener, smarter and fairer’ recovery – as proposed by the IMF – and what role sovereign bondholders can play.

    With speakers from Aberdeen Standard Investments, S&P Global Ratings, PRI and IMF.

  3. Webinar: Building a Sustainable Financial Systems in Emerging Markets
    Organised by: PRI, World Bank and Chronos Sustainability
    Date & Time: 15th July 9pm HKT

    The World Bank, Principles for Responsible Investment and Chronos Sustainability Ltd will host a discussion based on experiences of working with regulators, policymakers and institutional investors in emerging markets on the design and implementation of financial policy frameworks that align capital markets with sustainable growth to deliver net-zero real economies by 2050.

    Speakers will take examples from Colombia, Thailand and China to illustrate the case for, and practicalities in building a sustainable financial system.

  4. Webinar: UNDP SDG Impact Standards Workshop – SDG Bonds & PE Funds
    Organised by: UNDP SDG Impact, HKGFA and SFI
    Date & Time: 16th July 9 – 10:30am HKT

    Following on from our January event with UNDP SDG Impact Standards Workshop, the first draft of the Standards is out for public consultation. This second workshop will discuss the recently released SDG Impact Standards for SDG Bonds and the latest changes to the SDG Impact Standards for Private Equity Funds.

  5. Webinar: Climate Investment and Finance: Investors and Corporates’ Climate Commitments
    Organised by: PRI & CIFA
    Date & Time: 16th July 3 – 4:30pm HKT

    In partnership with the China Climate International Finance Association CIFA, PRI is delighted to invite you to webinar on target setting and climate change. The past 12 months have seen a notable increase in the number of countries, companies and investors setting net zero emission reduction targets. This bilingual webinar will look at the commercial drivers for this, how the targets are being implemented and holding up in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Visit www.foe.org.hk for more news about Friends of the Earth (HK)!

Published by foehk@foe.org.hk