Mr Peter Wong
Executive Director
Hong Kong and China Gas Co. Ltd.

In recent years, there has been increasing attention globally on environmental, social and governance, or ESG issues, with accelerated focus on concerns of sustainable development, broader social issues such as healthcare social inequalities, and corporate integrity.

On a broader perspective, the development and progress worldwide, in particular over the last decade, including the commitments made by Hong Kong SAR to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and that of the Mainland Central Government by 2060, suggest that the greatest collective endeavour ever undertaken in the history of mankind is in front of us. It is without a doubt that a transition to a net-zero economy must and will take place on a global scale in the decades ahead.Nonetheless, the financing need to build the green economy of the future remains huge. Such a gap is particularly enormous in Asia - where climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies are actively implemented by the stakeholders.

With a long-held and well-earned reputation as a world-leading financial hub, Hong Kong has an indispensable role to play in driving regional and international capital and investments towards green and sustainable causes. A strategic plan has been formulated under the Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group for strengthening Hong Kong's Financial Ecosystem in support of a greener and more sustainable future. As the designated green finance centre for the Greater Bay Area under the Outline Development Plan set by the Central Government, the city is at a tipping point with a pressing need to enhance its capacity and expertise in the field of ESG.

Against this background, the HKMA Global Centre for ESG Education & Research (GC-ESG) is timely established with an aim to serve as a focal point for the much-needed capacity building, experience sharing and research that would help deepen the pool of specialized talent and capabilities in Hong Kong and equip businesses of all sizes with the necessary resources to start and accelerate their own ESG journeys. We would like to acknowledge the support of the distinguished members of the Centre's Advisory Board who have kindly accepted our invitation.

Going forward, the GC-ESG will strive to advance regional and international knowledge exchange, building on the HKMA's premier network of international business organizations and senior executives, by organizing ESG-related courses and education programmes, including seminars and workshops as well as collaborating with institutions globally. I sincerely look forward to your active participation and continued support in the Centre's upcoming activities and programmes, with which I am sure whatever daunting challenges ahead of us can be overcome, for our future generations deserve the bright and sustainable future that you and I must join hand to start building now.