HONG KONG, 11 September 2026 — The Capacity-building Alliance of Sustainable Investment (CASI) today convened the CASI Sustainability Forum, “Shaping Inclusive Transitions in Asia: Enhancing SMEs’ Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change,” during the third Hong Kong Green Week. The landmark event drew approximately 370+ people on-site and online participants from 30+ jurisdictions — global and regional policymakers, financial institutions, development institutions and market practitioners — to advance transition financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), enhance adaptation and resilience to climate change by leveraging Hong Kong’s role as a critical regional and international hub.
Co-organised by CASI, the HKMA Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office (IFFO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the University of Hong Kong – Faculty of Social Sciences with Global Society and Sustainability Lab, and the CFA Institute, the Forum was convened amid a period of overlapping poly‑crises: intensifying climate risks exemplified by recurrent heatwaves and alpine glacier melt, alongside a protracted energy crisis stemming from regional frictions. Against this backdrop, the Asia‑Pacific region faces high market expectations, even as several parts of the world show wavering resolve on climate commitments.
Dr. Ma Jun, Chairman of CASI and President of the Institute of Finance and Sustainability (IFS), noted in his remarks on Asia’s rise as a powerhouse for sustainable finance and climate action. “The region delivered 74% of the world’s newly installed renewable energy capacity last year and close to 60% of global EV sales over the past two years, with Hong Kong cementing its position as a regional green finance hub, driving 45% of Asia’s cross-border sustainable bond issuance” he said. Yet momentum, he cautioned, must reach where it is needed most. Dr. Ma pointed to two pressing priorities: building climate resilience as extreme weather grows more frequent and severe, and closing the finance gap for SMEs – the backbone of jobs and supply chains, yet still underserved. CASI’s capacity-building can extend through supply chains, mobilising industry leaders, banks and credit agencies to help suppliers build capacity and unlock affordable green finance. The vision builds on real momentum. Since its founding, CASI has grown members to 75, training more than 10,000 people across over 100 countries.
Prof. Ming Wen — Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Chair Professor in Population Sciences and Sociology at The University of Hong Kong noted in her welcome remarks that climate change, social inequality and economic transformation are deeply interconnected, posing a dual challenge: pursuing an ambitious low-carbon transition while ensuring it remains fair and inclusive. She highlighted that SMEs are often excluded from green finance and climate adaptation discussions due to limited data, capacity constraints and perceived financial risks, stressing that financial flows should not bypass these vital enterprises. She called for greater alignment between financial incentives, public policies and the lived experiences of local communities.
Mr Darryl Chan, Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA, said, “Asia has moved to the very forefront of the global climate transition dialogue, and to drive Asia’s transition forward, we must build an ecosystem that enables SMEs – the very backbone of Asia’s economies. Sustainable finance hubs like Hong Kong can play a critical role in ensuring that sustainable finance is not only accessible to SMEs, but can be tailored to their everyday realities. At the HKMA, we are committed to convening and supporting dialogues like today’s to translate the global standards and frameworks to decision-useful information to SMEs on the ground.”
Wang Xin, Director General of the Research Bureau at the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), underscored the pivotal role of SMEs in both climate resilience and the green transition, noting that they are often disproportionately exposed to climate risks yet central to decarbonisation and adaptation. He outlined PBOC’s efforts to create an enabling environment through inclusive sustainable finance standards — including transition finance taxonomies for 11 carbon-intensive industries and a new adaptation finance taxonomy covering around 820 activities across 10 areas — alongside simplified disclosure requirements for smaller enterprises and transition finance that reaches SMEs within larger companies’ supply chains. Wang pointed to PBOC’s pilot programmes on SME sustainability disclosure, through which more than 300 enterprises have completed disclosures using simplified templates and AI-enabled tools, and reaffirmed that PBOC will continue to strengthen standards and international interoperability, develop tailored financial products, and expand technology and capacity-building support to help SMEs manage climate risks and access finance.
Paul Moody, Managing Director, Global Partnerships & Client Solutions, CFA Institute highlighted that “As a founding member of CASI, CFA Institute is proud to help equip Asia’s markets to finance a resilient, inclusive transition. Closing the climate adaptation gap for SMEs is as much an investment opportunity as a policy priority, and we’re honored to bring our global network into that conversation.”
In their keynote remarks, speakers underscored the urgency and opportunity of building inclusive, well-financed transitions across the region.
Thomas Beloe, Director of Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP, noted “The transition will only succeed if it works for the businesses and communities that drive our economies. For SMEs across Asia, that means ensuring that transition and adaptation finance is accessible, practical and connected to real investment opportunities. Our task now is to turn climate commitments into investable solutions that build resilience, create opportunity and leave no one behind.”
Dr. Leng Bing, Board Member, International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) emphasised that the purpose of sustainability disclosure is to provide investors with decision-useful information rather than to expand reporting volume, underpinned by the ISSB’s global baseline for sustainability-related financial information. Rather than developing separate standards for SMEs, the ISSB is focused on making its existing standards more accessible and proportionate for smaller entities — including through a potential proportionality mechanism and simplified reporting templates centred on core themes such as climate, water and workforce — thereby supporting their participation in trade, investment and supply chains.
Yann Marin, Secretary General, Network for Greening of the Financial System (NGFS), highlighted that capacity building is fundamental to translating knowledge into practical action on climate- and nature-related risks, and to ensuring that SMEs can access the finance required for transition and adaptation. He noted that the NGFS has progressively moved “from principles to practice,” establishing capacity building as a strategic priority and launching a dedicated Expert Network in 2025, with plans to adopt a more demand-driven and regionally responsive approach going forward.
Cheng Lin, Head of Secretariat of CASI, presented a recent report on “Unlocking Transition Finance for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: A Lookback Transition Instrument,” which explores a practical approach to help SMEs access transition finance via delayed‑incentive mechanisms. These include ex‑post labelling and financial incentives tied to the achievement and verification of pre‑defined transition targets. Verification costs can also be lowered through internalised assessment: most SMEs’ emissions may be derived from utility‑level data such as electricity, natural gas and gasoline consumption.
Across the panel discussions, moderators and panellists drawn from multilateral development banks, financial regulators, global financial institutions, cities and academia explored how innovative transition finance instruments, blended finance and risk-sharing mechanisms can be scaled for SMEs.
Participants explored how to expand accessible and inclusive finance for SMEs undertaking the low-carbon transition, with speakers calling for proportionate frameworks, practical transition pathways, lower transaction and verification costs, risk-sharing mechanisms and stronger supply-chain engagement, and pointing to digital and AI-enabled tools — and CASI’s Lookback Transition Instrument — as ways to link financing to measurable progress.
Participants also shared views on closing the gap between adaptation policy and investable projects, emphasising clearer demand signals, stronger project preparation, better data and the right blend of capital and risk-sharing to mobilise private investment, while reframing adaptation as an investment in resilient returns.
On climate resilience, experts examined how to build whole-of-economy and city-level resilience, highlighting the need for location-specific data, common methodologies, coordinated governance and instruments such as insurance and catalytic capital, and stressing that resilience must be measured not only by infrastructure performance but by whether investment reaches vulnerable communities and reduces inequality.
During the forum, Dr. Ma Jun introduced the Green Accelerator, highlighting its role in connecting proven green technologies with users, partners and financing opportunities in emerging and developing markets. A range of solutions have been showcased at the Forum, spanning solar- and AI-powered irrigation, modular desalination, biomass pyrolysis, mobile EV charging, long-duration energy storage, climate-resilient seeds, renewable hydrogen, atmospheric water generation, rainwater harvesting and small modular reactors.
Alongside the main forum, a Student Breakout Session on “Sustainable Development in Action – Harnessing AI, Climate Tech & Sustainable Finance Across Industries,” was co-hosted together with the Hong Kong Green Finance Association (HKGFA), the University of Hong Kong – Faculty of Social Sciences (Global Society and Sustainability Lab) and the HKU Sustainability Society. The session engaged university students and early-career professionals on how the banking, energy and supply-chain sectors are redirecting toward climate-aligned outcomes, the role of AI and battery technology in decarbonisation, and practical pathways into Hong Kong’s sustainable finance sector.
About The Capacity-building Alliance of Sustainable Investment (CASI)
CASI is an international cooperation platform committed to delivering high-quality, high-impact sustainable finance capacity-building services for developing countries by serving as a global aggregator and distributor of sustainable finance knowledge. Officially launched at COP28 in December 2023, CASI has grown to include over 70 member institutions, including financial companies, industry associations, NGOs, service start-ups, and higher education institutions, with a geographic reach spanning Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and other emerging markets.
CASI supports the G20’s Transition Finance Framework (TAAP) by facilitating the exchange and dissemination of sustainable finance knowledge through various initiatives such as the CASI Sustainability Forum, CASI Seminar, CASI Technical Assistance (TA), and the CASI Academy — an online e-learning platform offering more than 80 modules on diverse topics related to sustainable finance. For more information about CASI and its members, please visit www.casi.net.
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