【ESG News】Global Trends Biweekly Newsletter Issue 67 (2026.8.31-2026.9.13)

Hong Kong ESG trends

HKMA launches public consultation on Phase 2B prototype of Hong Kong Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance

On 7 September, The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) launched a public consultation on Phase 2B prototype of the Hong Kong Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance (Hong Kong Taxonomy). The Hong Kong Taxonomy is an important market enabling tool for promoting informed decision-making in green and sustainable finance. By providing clear, transparent, and robust definitions of what constitutes green and sustainable activities, the taxonomy aims to scale up relevant capital flows while addressing greenwashing concerns. The public consultation will last until 7 October 2026.

Source: https://www.hkma.gov.hk/eng/news-and-media/press-releases/2026/09/20260907-3/

Lianhe Green Insights

Lianhe Green believes that Phase 2B further clarifies the assessment logic for green and transition financing and provides clearer reference for market participants. It can effectively facilitate efficient capital allocation to low‑carbon‑transition‑related areas and strengthen Hong Kong’s tool‑based support for Asia‑Pacific sustainable investment and financing. It is expected that this public consultation will fully collect practical feedback from all sectors, and subsequent versions will continuously refine relevant supporting rules to further enhance the overall completeness and practical implementability of the Hong Kong Taxonomy.

 

Hong Kong Green Week Concludes: Entering a New Stage from Disclosure to Real Economy Implementation

Under the theme "Empowering the Future, Building Sustainable Development Together," the 3rd Hong Kong Green Week was successfully held from September 7 to 11, 2026. Coordinated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the event featured large-scale conferences, forums, and a variety of sideline activities including roundtable meetings, workshops, and seminars. It brought together global political and business leaders and professionals to conduct in-depth discussions across six key focus areas: inclusive transition, climate adaptation and resilience, green technology, green trade and supply chain resilience, nature and biodiversity conservation, and social impact investment.

Source: https://www.hkma.gov.hk/eng/news-and-media/press-releases/2026/09/20260907-3/

Lianhe Green Insights

This year's Hong Kong Green Week reflects that sustainable finance in Asia is entering a new stage, gradually shifting its focus away from green labeling and disclosure toward capital implementation mechanisms. Participating parties explored leveraging blended finance, sustainable debt, and other tools to mobilize private capital. Climate resilience has also extended from traditional disaster management to multi-dimensional physical, natural, and social aspects, making supporting financing pathways a focal point of discussion. This demonstrates a joint push by the market and regulatory sectors to embed corporate climate transition plans into operational decision-making, establishing a cross-sectoral and cross-regional capital matching platform for sustainable transition across Asia.

 

International ESG trends

18th BRICS Summit Concludes: Leaders Sign the New Delhi Declaration

BRICS countries jointly released the New Delhi Declaration (the "Declaration"), reaffirming their commitment to multilateralism and calling upon all Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement to continue fulfilling their existing commitments, as well as to maintain and scale up efforts in combating climate change. It further reiterated that, to achieve the objectives of the UNFCCC, parties must strengthen the comprehensive and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement to address climate change, embodying the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities, and respective capabilities. 

The Declaration opposes unilateral, punitive, discriminatory, and protectionist measures inconsistent with international law—including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)—and expressed concern that these measures may undermine countries' efforts—particularly those of developing nations—to mitigate and cope with the negative impacts of climate change, as well as to enhance their adaptive capacity and resilience.

Source: https://esgnews.com/cix-carbonplace-plan-carbon-market-infrastructure-merger/

Lianhe Green Insights

The Declaration reflects the realistic concerns of developing countries regarding the impact of unilateral green trade measures on their economic development and climate adaptation capacities. Climate governance under multilateral frameworks emphasizes burden-sharing tailored to national circumstances, whereas the introduction of mechanisms such as unilateral carbon tariffs objectively increases cross-border compliance and fulfillment costs for trade. This indicates that during the advancement of global climate policies, the international community continues to face persistent coordination challenges in balancing emission reduction targets, trade fairness, and the adaptive capacity of developing nations.

 

Mainland China ESG trends

Release of National Standards Series for Green Development of the Mining Industry

The State Administration for Market Regulation has released a series of national standards, including the Specification for Green Exploration of Solid Mineral Resources and the Specification for Construction of Green Mines. Drawing on valuable practical outcomes from over a decade of national‑wide green exploration pilots, the Specification for Green Exploration of Solid Mineral Resources sets out actionable, quantitative technical requirements covering construction‑site land‑use control, low‑disturbance exploration techniques, pollution prevention and control, and zoned ecological revegetation. Centering on six dimensions — resource extraction, comprehensive resource utilisation, green and low‑carbon development, ecological restoration, scientific‑technological innovation and standardized administration, as well as mining‑site environment — the Specification for Construction of Green Mines puts forward differentiated construction requirements tailored to the development modes and technical features of various minerals. It applies to green‑mine development for coal mines, onshore oil‑gas fields and other mine types.

The issuance and implementation of this set of national standards for green development of the mining industry will provide strong support for the new‑round Strategic Action for Prospecting Breakthroughs, advance the coordinated progress of mineral‑resource security and ecological protection, and steer the high‑quality, green and low‑carbon transformation of China’s mining sector.

Source: https://www.samr.gov.cn/xw/sj/art/2026/art_8b4013eaa25a49e28b34af1f65f813c1.html

Lianhe Green Insights

The roll‑out of this series of national standards for green mining development establishes a full‑cycle regulatory chain covering mineral exploration through mine operation. It sets differentiated indicators for multiple mineral types and shifts the management focus from end‑of‑pipe restoration to source‑based prevention and whole‑process low‑carbon governance. Balancing mineral‑resource security and ecological constraints, the standards lay down technical benchmarks for the green development of critical minerals. They also constitute an important domestic normative reference for green‑finance assessments of mining‑related projects.

 

MEE Issues Revised Six National Ecological‑Environmental Standards Including Thermal‑Power Pollutant‑Discharge‑Permit Technical Specification

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) has revised and released six national ecological‑environmental standards, including the Technical Specification for Application and Issuance of Pollutant Discharge Permits — Thermal Power. These standards optimise the application and issuance of pollutant discharge permits for key industries, consolidate the foundation for refined management of stationary pollution sources, and provide strong support for building a Beautiful China.

They further improve the technical support system for the issuance and administration of pollutant discharge permits in key industries. Marked and exemplary in advancing full‑factor control and stringent full‑coverage permitting of pollutant discharge quantities, the standards will play a vital role in boosting environmental governance efficiency and advancing the improvement of environmental quality.

Source: http://big5.www.gov.cn/gate/big5/www.gov.cn/lianbo/202608/content_7079476.htm

Lianhe Green Insights

The revision of these six pollutant‑permit technical specifications extends supervision to full‑factor dimensions including fugitive emissions and soil, and refines rules for emission‑volume accounting and compliance determination. It imposes stringent verification on permitted emissions while streamlining filing requirements to reduce the compliance burden on enterprises.

The standards underpin the “single‑permit‑based” management framework for stationary pollution sources. They also serve as an important regulatory reference for the transition of high‑carbon sectors and for green‑finance assessments of corporate environmental compliance performance.