More than 66,000 viewers from 82 countries and regions attended the 15th HK Asia Financial Forum, which was held online by Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTD) and HK government Jan. 11 to 12, 2022. 73 percent of attendees were CEOs and senior decisionmakers.
Peter Lam GBS, chairman of Hong Kong Trade Development Council and other few high-profile speakers from both Hong Kong and mainland China delivered the opening speech. Looking beyond the pandemic, the speakers discussed recovery from economic, social and individual perspectives, to address “Navigating the Next Normal towards a Sustainable Future.”Common goals included global health, fighting climate change and closing wealth gap were also explored at AFF, as global leaders and policymakers shared insights on how innovation and technology can shape sustainable growth and how ESG and philanthropy impact business issues. Two-day format
Following the same two-day virtual format as last year, the conference was designed to attract a global audience. A separate three-day deal-matching platform, AFF Deal Flow, enabled business leaders from the world to connect and discuss real-life collaborative opportunities. Within the three days, more than 700 one-on-one meetings took place on AFF Deal Flow’s platform, connecting projects with investments.
The agenda’s broad mix of topics included perspectives on global economic, environmental, social and governance issues (ESG), climate risks and green investment trends.
Following are topics highlighted by global leaders at the conference:
- PWC and HKTDC presented a survey on “ESG Investing, challenges and opportunities for Hong Kong.” Survey findings indicated more than half of respondents believed neglecting ESG could affect organizations’ ability to attract business opportunities and retain clients. The report also pointed out that the involvement of boards and executive directors in ESG matters can encourage companies to move towards sustainability.
- ESG standards is no longer an option but a necessity when it comes to making successful investment decisions. A group of senior executives from HSBC, State Street, UBS, Federated Hermes International, Sintesa Group and Haitong International Securities Group shared insights on their respective standards and best practices.
- Jean-Claude Trichet, former president of European Central Bank (2003-2011), shared insights on global economic recovery. Commenting on private sector and central banks’ role in ESG agendas and initiatives, Trichet emphasized the importance of global cooperation across financial partners, market participants and investors to foster enlightened practices and compliance.
- Mark Carney, special envoy on climate action and finance at the United Nations, shared insights on how to build a sustainable financial system while mitigating liability and transitional threats posed by climate change. He also outlined how to mobilize resources with the concerted efforts of both the private and public sectors to paving the way to a net-zero future.
- Opportunities for Hong Kong under sustainable development in the Greater Bay Area.
- Payment innovation for Next-Gen Global Commerce.
For more details about AFF, please refer to the online platform, where the program can be played on demand until mid-March:
– Asian Financial Forum: https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/aff/en/
– AFF programme: https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/aff/en/programme/programme
– AFF speakers: https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/aff/en/speaker/main
– Photo download: https://bit.ly/3HRXNQo
AUTHOR
Tracy Lai
FinTech Consultant
Partner at LYSTAR GROUP
Tracy Lai provides strategic and business development solutions to executives, and entrepreneur. Her professional experience includes work at Fortune 500 companies including Intel and RBS, and startups. Her expertise covers business development, risk management, project management and investor relations, in Financial Services, FinTech, Innovation, Technology and Education. As management consultant and FinTech advisor, she holds multiple senior roles with focus on cross border and cross industry collaboration, including projects in US, Asia and Europe.
