【ESG News】Global Trends Biweekly Newsletter Issue 68 (2026.9.14-2026.9.27)

Hong Kong ESG trends

HKSAR Government Releases First Five-Year Plan and 2026 Policy Address

On September 16, 2026, the Chief Executive of the HKSAR, Mr John Lee, unveiled the First Five-Year Plan for the Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026–2030) (Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan) and simultaneously delivered the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address (Policy Address). Aligned with the national "15th Five-Year Plan" cycle, the two documents establish the blueprint and implementation measures for Hong Kong's green and sustainable finance development, consolidating its position as an international hub connecting mainland and global green capital.

For further details and in-depth insights from Lianhe Green, please visit the following link to access the full content: https://lianhegreen.com/en/article/26/300.html.

Source: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/26/P2026082600406.htm?fontSize=1

Lianhe Green Insights

The simultaneous release of Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan and the Policy Address marks a new development stage for Hong Kong's sustainable finance construction, transitioning from "policy guidance and voluntary pilot programs" to "institutionalization, standardization, and internationalization." Seamlessly aligning Hong Kong's inaugural Five-Year Plan with the national "15th Five-Year Plan" not only highlights Hong Kong's unique hub value in the nation's green and low-carbon transition, but also provides global capital with high-certainty and high-transparency institutional pathways to participate in sustainable investments across China and Asia.

International ESG trends

Launch of a French National Hub for Social, Intermediate and Sustainable Housing

On 23 September 2026, the French Ministry for the City and Housing, Caisse des Dépôts (CDC), Union sociale pour l'Habitat (USH), European Investment Bank (EIB) and Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) signed a declaration of intent to establish a French National Hub for social, intermediate and sustainable housing, backed by the European Commission. This initiative forms part of the European Affordable Housing Plan presented in December 2025, responding to the housing crisis marked by rising prices and rents, slow new‑build activity and household access difficulties. Building on the 2020 European Alliance for Sustainable and Inclusive Social Housing in France, the Hub operates through three cooperation pillars: enhancing access to European funding for social, affordable housing and homelessness‑combat measures; delivering technical support for project promoters and promoting innovative construction and renovation methods; and sharing expertise to assess investment needs, identify project barriers and inform French legislative and regulatory reforms. It will act as a platform to mobilise European loans, guarantees and engineering credits for housing projects.

Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_26_1940/IP_26_1940_EN.pdf

Lianhe Green Insights

This French national housing hub represents the first national‑level practical platform implementing the European Affordable Housing Plan. It brings together national government, domestic public financial institutions, housing industry associations and two multilateral development banks to channel European capital into local housing projects. Expanding the prior cooperation by including the French State, the Hub combines funding mobilisation, technical capacity‑building and policy feedback. It serves as a replicable model for other EU Member States tackling housing shortages, and reflects the strong policy orientation of European multilateral banks to engage in social housing and sustainable renovation for public welfare.

Establishment of the International Green Shipping Corridors Alliance

During the Global Sustainable Transport Summit (2026), the International Green Shipping Corridors Alliance was officially established. The Alliance aims to build an international green shipping cooperation platform, promote the sustainable development of the shipping industry, and contribute to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the promotion of a human community with a shared future.

The International Green Shipping Corridors Alliance is the world's first non-governmental international organization based on cooperation in green shipping corridors. Currently, its founding members comprise 45 leading enterprises from 12 countries, covering the entire upstream and downstream value chain of green shipping with prominent features of diversification and internationalization.

Source: https://www.mot.gov.cn/xinwen/jiaotongyaowen/202609/t20260924_4224850.html

Lianhe Green Insights

The establishment of the International Green Shipping Corridors Alliance marks a new milestone as global shipping transitions from regional explorations to cross-border, whole-value-chain collaboration. With leading industrial players from multiple countries as its members, the Alliance facilitates cross-border projects in key areas including ports, vessels and green fuel supply, accelerates practical decarbonisation in shipping, and offers a new pathway with multi-party participation for global shipping emission reduction governance.

Mainland China ESG trends

Ministry of Ecology and Environment Releases the Progress Report of China’s National Carbon Market (2026)

To facilitate a better understanding of the development of the national carbon market across all sectors of society, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) organized the compilation of the Progress Report of China’s National Carbon Market (2026) (the Report), which was officially released on September 15 at the "2026 China Carbon Market Conference." The Report systematically summarizes the latest progress in the construction of both the national carbon emission trading market and the national greenhouse gas voluntary emission reduction trading market, comprehensively showcases operational achievements, and outlines future development directions.

The Report proposes that by 2027, the national carbon emission trading market will basically cover major emitting industries within the industrial sector, and the national greenhouse gas voluntary emission reduction trading market will achieve full coverage in key areas. By 2030, a national carbon emission trading market based on aggregate quota control and combining free and paid allocation will be basically established, alongside a national greenhouse gas voluntary emission reduction trading market that is honest, transparent, methodologically unified, broadly participated, and aligned with international standards, ultimately forming a carbon pricing mechanism with significant emission reduction effects, a sound rule system, and reasonable price levels.

Source: https://www.mee.gov.cn/ywgz/ydqhbh/wsqtkz/202609/t20260920_1166890.shtml

Lianhe Green Insights

The release of the Report marks a new stage of systematic expansion, institutional upgrading, and predictable implementation for China's dual-carbon market mechanisms. By clarifying the timeline and roadmap for comprehensive industry coverage by 2027 and a mature carbon pricing system by 2030, the national carbon market is transitioning from a single compliance market to a complete carbon trading system driven by both quota markets and voluntary emission reduction markets. This further solidifies a unified, rule-transparent, and internationally benchmarked carbon pricing foundation nationwide, providing stable policy and market expectations for emission reduction implementation, green industry development, and cross-border carbon cooperation.

Two Departments Jointly Deploy Preliminary Review Work on Carbon Emission Metrology for Key Emission Units in the National Carbon Market

Recently, the General Office of the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the General Office of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) jointly issued a notice to deploy preliminary review work on carbon emission metrology for key emission units in the national carbon market. This initiative aims to provide a clear roadmap for carbon metrology management and secure reliable data foundations for fair and equitable trading. As the national carbon market expands into sectors such as the chemical industry, this preliminary review will comprehensively assess enterprises' metrology management systems, equipment allocation, and digital upgrades to address existing shortcomings in carbon measurement. The notice establishes a "one review, dual-acceptance" mechanism, enabling cross-departmental regulatory synergy and administrative burden reduction. Additionally, it builds a closed-loop system of "problem rectification, clue handover, and result sharing," implementing incentive policies such as exempting Grade A enterprises from on-site metrology verification to continuously enhance carbon measurement services.

Source: https://www.mee.gov.cn/ywgz/ydqhbh/wsqtkz/202609/t20260923_1174316.shtml

Lianhe Green Insights

The joint deployment of carbon emission metrology reviews and the establishment of the "one review, dual-acceptance" mechanism break down institutional barriers between market regulation and environmental authorities regarding data verification, reinforcing the baseline of carbon data quality at the source. For green finance, third-party verification, and ESG evaluation institutions, the standardization, closed-loop management, and incentive mechanisms of metrological results significantly enhance the authenticity and transparency of underlying emission data in the national carbon market. This provides robust and credible data assurance for corporate carbon asset pricing, compliance risk assessments, and green financial product innovations.