所屬分類：新聞動態發佈時間：2026-08-04
Hong Kong ESG trends
The Green Council Launches Hong Kong's First Independent “Net Zero Assessment Framework” for Corporates and Organisations
The Green Council announced the official launch of the “Net Zero Assessment Framework” and “Net Zero Awards for Excellence (NZAfE) 2026”, Hong Kong's pioneering independent awards programme dedicated to assessing the credibility, governance, and quality of corporate net-zero commitments. Applications opened on 17 July 2026 and will close in mid-December 2026.
Lianhe Green Insights
The Green Council launched Hong Kong’s first independent net-zero assessment framework and awards programme, addressing the prevalent pain points of insufficient third-party verification for corporate net-zero pledges and widespread greenwashing locally. With sector-specific evaluation criteria and independent reviews by cross-disciplinary experts, the framework complements HKEX’s ISSB-aligned climate disclosure rules. It urges enterprises to strengthen emission reduction governance and deliver tangible decarbonisation measures, while providing credible benchmarks for global investors and reinforcing the credibility of Hong Kong’s green financial market.
International ESG trends
ECB Expands Application of Climate Risk Factors in Collateral Framework to Corporate Loans
The European Central Bank (ECB) announced plans to extend the use of climate factors in the collateral framework to eligible loans to non-financial corporations, significantly expanding its initiative to adjust the value assigned to assets pledged by banks as collateral for central bank loans, based on their exposure to climate transition risks.
Source: https://www.esgtoday.com/ecb-expands-application-of-climate-risk-factors-in-collateral-framework-to-corporate-loans/
Lianhe Green Insights
The ECB has fully extended climate risk factors to corporate loan collateral, marking that central banks’ monetary policy toolkit is evolving from merely maintaining price and financial stability to deeply integrating green transition and climate risk prevention. While the maximum 5% additional haircut and the 2027 implementation timeline reflect a moderate and prudent policy stance, it sends an unambiguous signal: liquidity allocation within the financial system will henceforth be closely tied to the real economy’s climate transition performance.
Singapore Releases Proposed ISSB-Aligned Sustainability Reporting Standards
Singapore’s business reporting and accounting regulator the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) announced the release of draft Singapore Sustainability Disclosure Standards, based on the sustainability and climate-related reporting standards developed by the IFRS Foundation’s International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).
The new proposed standards are designed to form the basis of new mandatory climate and voluntary broader sustainability reporting requirements for companies in Singapore, with reporting for large listed companies beginning this year.
Source: https://www.esgtoday.com/singapore-releases-proposed-issb-aligned-sustainability-reporting-standards/
Lianhe Green Insights
Singapore plans to introduce ISSB-aligned disclosure standards, signalling accelerated progress towards globally unified sustainability reporting norms across Asia-Pacific. The initiative will substantially boost corporate ESG transparency and improve capital markets’ efficiency in allocating capital to green assets.
Mainland China ESG trends
Multiple Authorities Jointly Issue the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Climate Change Response
The 15th Five-Year Plan for National Climate Change Response (the “Plan”), jointly issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Development and Reform Commission and other authorities, was released on July 29.
The Plan sets out that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will achieve major new progress in addressing climate change and advancing carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. The carbon peaking target will be fulfilled as scheduled, and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2030 will be fully delivered.
By 2030, carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP will drop by 17% compared with 2025 levels. CO₂ emissions per unit product from sectors covered by the national carbon emissions trading scheme will fall by roughly 3% versus 2025. A credible, transparent, universally accessible and internationally aligned national voluntary greenhouse gas trading market with unified methodologies will be established. A product carbon footprint management system will take initial shape. Monitoring and control of non-CO₂ greenhouse gases will be strengthened to deliver an emission reduction capacity equivalent to 30 million tonnes of CO₂.
Source: https://www.gov.cn/lianbo/202607/content_7076980.htm
Lianhe Green Insights
The release of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Climate Change Response marks that China’s green and low-carbon transition has entered a new stage featuring both rigid constraints and long-term institutional arrangements. From a green low-carbon perspective, the plan’s most prominent value lies in translating emission reduction goals into quantifiable and assessable mandatory targets, including a 17% cut in carbon emissions per unit of GDP and a roughly 3% decline in emissions for carbon market-covered sectors. These benchmarks provide clear guidance for local governments and enterprises.
MEE Seeks Public Comments on Carbon Quota Allocation Plans for Four Energy-Intensive Industries
On 22 July 2026, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) issued a document to solicit public opinions on carbon quota allocation plans for four energy-intensive industries under the national carbon emissions trading scheme, which was publicly disclosed on 27 July.
The document covers the total quotas and allocation rules for the power generation sector in 2025 and 2026, as well as the steel, cement and aluminium smelting sectors newly included in the carbon market in 2026. Formulated in accordance with the Interim Regulations on the Administration of Carbon Emissions Trading, it aims to curb emissions and advance decarbonisation via market mechanisms and lower the overall societal cost of emission reduction.
Source: https://www.cets.org.cn/tzgg/7409.jhtml
Lianhe Green Insights
The rollout of carbon quota schemes for the four energy-intensive industries adopts intensity-based allocation and differentiated incentives to compel high-emission enterprises to cut carbon emissions, while refining mechanisms for preliminary allocation, settlement and Chinese Certified Emission Reductions (CCER) offsetting. The expansion and tightening of the carbon market raises decarbonisation costs for traditional industrial players, benefits low-carbon technology firms and carbon asset management, and establishes clear policy benchmarks for ESG valuation of Hong Kong-listed mainland industrial entities and cross-border green investment and financing.
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