New platform to provide greater access, transparency on sustainable-themed products, supporting Hong Kong role as green finance hub.
HKEx (Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing) has announced the official launch of the STAGE (Sustainable and Green Exchange), described as Asia’s first multi-asset sustainable investment product platform, to support growing demand for sustainable finance.
The planned launch of the new information platform was announced in June, as part of efforts to promote the visibility, transparency, and accessibility of sustainable and green finance products.
The STAGE platform provides is an online product repository of green and sustainable finance resources, promoting market education, knowledge sharing and stakeholder engagement in sustainable finance.
At launch, the platform features 29 sustainable-themed products from leading Asian corporates. These HKEx-listed sustainable products include sustainability, green, and transition bonds from issuers across a variety of sectors, as well as ESG-related exchange traded products.
Over time, the scope of the product repository will increase across asset classes, industries, and jurisdictions – expanding beyond Hong Kong.
“The opportunities in sustainable finance in Asia are growing rapidly. There is a need for information about sustainable products and ESG data, and we hope that STAGE will help meet that demand,” said Wilfred Yiu, HKEx’s Head of Markets.
“STAGE will connect market participants, issuers and investors, providing a one-stop shop for reliable green data and products, helping to drive growth potential, transparency and access to Asia’s exciting green and sustainable financial market.”
Issuers included on STAGE must provide additional voluntary disclosures on their sustainable investment products, such as use of proceeds reports, as well as annual post issuance reports.
“This additional information will enable investors to access a trusted, easy-to-use platform for the region’s fast growing green sector,” HKEx said. “At the same time, the data will act as a benchmark for issuers seeking to raise funds for their sustainable projects, and will also contribute to the standardisation of sustainability metrics.”
With the launch of STAGE, HKEx is seeking to support the growth of Asia’s sustainable finance market by increasing awareness, accessibility, data availability, and transparency of green and sustainable investment products, according to Grace Hui, HKEx’s Head of Green and Sustainable Finance.
“Ultimately, we aim to guide future capital flows to support our society’s transition towards sustainability. We are actively encouraging all regional issuers of green and sustainable products to consider application for inclusion on STAGE, in turn helping to build Asian financial markets’ own sustainability.”
More information on STAGE is available here.
