Hong Kong regulators and market participants have released a sector-focused transition finance guide for the technology industry, as the city seeks to give banks, investors, and issuers more practical tools for assessing climate transition plans in digital infrastructure and ICT financing.
The Hong Kong Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group said it welcomed the release of the Transition Finance Operational Reference Guide – Phase 1 Report: Mobilising Finance for the Transition of the Technology Sector, developed by an industry working group under its transition finance workstream.
The report focuses on the information and communications technology sector, including how financial institutions can assess transition strategies at the company level when providing general corporate-purpose financing or making investment decisions.
The guidance comes as technology companies face growing scrutiny over energy use, data centre expansion, cloud infrastructure and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, all of which are increasing demand for clearer climate-related disclosures and financing standards.
Transition finance has become a growing part of sustainable finance, aimed at helping companies fund credible decarbonization plans rather than limiting capital only to businesses already classified as green.
The report identifies common elements across recognised international frameworks and sets out core transition-related information and metrics considered relevant to the ICT sector.
These are intended to help financial institutions better assess a company’s transition strategy, compare disclosures and allocate capital more efficiently.
The steering group said the guide also responds to market feedback on implementation challenges by including case studies showing how international transition finance principles can be applied in practice.
Eddie Yue, co-chair of the Steering Group and chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, said the report reflected the industry’s ambition to develop practical approaches to transition finance.
He encouraged market participants to use the report’s insights as Hong Kong seeks to scale up transition finance.
Julia Leung, co-chair of the Steering Group and chief executive officer of the Securities and Futures Commission, said the guide was intended to turn high-level international principles and standards into actionable and accessible guidance.
The initiative forms part of the Steering Group’s 2026-2028 priorities to expand transition finance in Hong Kong through more practical market guidance.
Future phases of the work will cover activity-level financing and investment, as well as stewardship and engagement.
The Steering Group, established in 2020, is co-chaired by the HKMA and the SFC. Its members include Hong Kong’s Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, Environment and Ecology Bureau, Insurance Authority, Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, Accounting and Financial Reporting Council, and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd.