Hong Kong is well-placed to connect Belt and Road enterprises with opportunities and partners from around the world in pursuing green development and transformation, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Monday.

In a speech at the Belt and Road Green Innovation Conference, Lee said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region can provide Belt and Road partners with financing, project management and risk management services for green infrastructure and sustainable development projects. 

“From finance to green transformation, Hong Kong is well placed to serve as a ‘super connector’ and ‘super value-adder’, connecting people and opportunities, and helping turn collaboration into concrete results,” Lee said.

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The conference, which is being held outside the Chinese mainland for the first time, gathered more than 400 government representatives and professionals from 16 countries to discuss international cooperation on green development.

“Green transformation is a shared endeavor. By bringing together our resources, expertise and innovative ideas, multilateral collaboration can achieve more than unilateral effort,” Lee said.

As a leading green and sustainable finance hub, Hong Kong connects green projects with international capital, Lee said, adding that the SAR has led Asia in arranging international green and sustainable bond issuances in the last eight years, accounting for about 40 percent of the regional total.

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Lee said the city combines green finance with financial innovation, noting that the SAR government last month priced about HK$20 billion ($2.54 billion) in digital green bonds, denominated in Hong Kong dollars, renminbi, US dollars and euros.

“Our contribution, let me add, is about more than matching capital with projects. Hong Kong’s professional services also help ensure that a project is bankable and insurable,” Lee said.

He said the city also connects green technologies with the markets that need them, with Hong Kong combining access to mainland innovation and manufacturing with international business expertise to deploy, and adapt solutions.

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Lee noted that the annual Eco Expo Asia, which also opened on Monday, has many exhibitors offering green solutions connecting with overseas buyers and investors.

Next year, the SAR will launch the Green Technology Bridgehead Programme, which will help mainland and overseas green enterprises take their green solutions to Belt and Road markets, combining technological capabilities with local demand, he said.

Lee said Hong Kong also connects people through training and knowledge exchange through its Belt and Road Capacity Building Platforms and the Belt and Road Sustainable Green Development Training Centre.     

“These, and other, initiatives enable officials and professionals to exchange experience on issues such as green buildings, energy efficiency and waste management. They also support the people-to-people bonds that underpin Belt and Road cooperation,” he added.