The Alliance for Green Commercial Banks Organises the 2nd CEO Roundtable in Green Building

The Alliance for Green Commercial Banks (the Alliance), co-launched by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, hosted the second roundtable, “CEO Talk: BUILDING a Green Future”, virtually today (14 July). This roundtable attracted participants globally from Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

The Alliance was jointly launched by the HKMA and IFC in November 2020 to help banks develop the solutions needed to address climate change across emerging markets. As part of its knowledge sharing and capacity building efforts, the Alliance has been hosting a series of roundtable sessions on relevant topics. The inaugural roundtable “CEO Talk: Opportunities for Green Bank Transformation” was hosted on 27 April 2021. The series of roundtable sessions will equip participants with the knowledge related to green banking transition and will provide a platform for market participants across commercial banks, leading real sector companies, tech innovators, thought leaders, and regulators to share their first-hand experiences and intelligence.

The second roundtable commenced with opening remarks from Mr Paulo de Bolle, Global Senior Director, Financial Institutions Group, IFC; and keynotes by Mr Peter Babej, Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific, Citi.

The panel discussion was moderated by Mr Edmond Lau, Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA, and featured the following speakers, who are CEOs and senior executives from leading international investor, financier, and property developer:

• Ms Rachel Lord, Chair and Head of Asia Pacific, BlackRock;
• Mr Paul Yang, Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific, BNP Paribas; and
• Ms Fanny Lung, Finance Director, Swire Properties Limited.

During the discussion, speakers unveiled the strategies and initiatives in greening the real estate sector, as well as opportunities in green building and related financing in Asia.

“By adopting green practices and offering new and innovative climate-friendly products, banks can differentiate themselves and increase their market share, capitalizing on the potential of the green buildings sector – and other climate-smart industries – through sustainable financing,” said Mr Paulo de Bolle.

“Green building financing is a win-win proposition,” said Mr Edmond Lau. “The panel discussion today has exhibited that greening the real estate sector could create values for property developers, financiers and investors, while reducing the risks via improved resilience.”

To encourage more dialogue on green building, the Alliance will host the “Practitioner Talk: BUILDING a Green Future” on 21 July 2021, where experts and leaders in green building, green finance and policy-making will share their experiences and insights on green building development.

Hong Kong Monetary Authority
14 July 2021

The Alliance for Green Commercial Banks hosts the second roundtable, “CEO Talk: BUILDING a Green Future”, virtually today (14 July). The event commences with opening remarks from Mr Paulo de Bolle, Global Senior Director, Financial Institutions Group, IFC (top centre); and keynotes by Mr Peter Babej, Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific, Citi (top right). The panel discussion is moderated by Mr Edmond Lau, Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA (top left), and is joined by Ms Rachel Lord, Chair and Head of Asia Pacific, BlackRock (bottom left); Mr Paul Yang, Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific, BNP Paribas (bottom centre); and Ms Fanny Lung, Finance Director, Swire Properties Limited (bottom right).