On October 25, 2023, the unveiling ceremony of Huzhou Green Finance Institute (HZGF) was officially launched at the "Green Finance Cooperation and Exchange Dialogue" in Huzhou City, coinciding with a roundtable discussion themed "Institutional Investors' Roles in Low-carbon Transition of Enterprises". Wu Dengfen, Director of the Local Financial Supervision Bureau of Zhejiang Province, Wu Zhiyong, Executive Vice Mayor and a member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee, Liu Yiwen, Director of the Financial Work Office of Huzhou Municipal People's Government, Ma Jun, Chairman of Green Finance Committee of China Society for Finance and Banking, President of Institute of Finance and Sustainability (IFS) and Chairman of HZGF, and Bai Yunwen, Vice President of IFS and President of HZGF, attended the event and delivered speeches.
During the ceremony, Wu Zhiyong and Ma Jun, jointly unveiled the plaque.
According to Wu Zhiyong, the establishment of HZGF marks a pivotal moment and fresh beginning for Huzhou's green and sustainable finance endeavors. He also encouraged HZGF to actively propel the development of Huzhou's green finance.
Bai Yunwen introduced HZGF's basic situation and development plan. By capitalizing on IFS's expertise in talent cultivation, scientific research, and global partnerships, HZGF aims to advance researches and practices of green finance and sustainable development in the Yangtze River Delta, further empowering green finance.
HZGF will focus on four key areas: (1) pioneering research and innovative practices including transition finance, biodiversity finance, ESG investment and financing, and ISSB sustainable disclosure; (2) empowering green finance development, organizing specialized training and strengthening talent exchanges; (3) fostering global collaboration via Capacity-building Alliance of Sustainable Investment (CASI), Green Investment Principles (GIP) for the Belt and Road, and Sino-British Green Finance Working Group to globalize the "Huzhou Experience"; and (4) building a high-caliber think tank to gather a wide range of experts and talents and drive green finance forward.
Fig. HZGF Overview by President Bai Yunwen
Huzhou Green Finance Institute
Origin Green Finance Ignites Reforms and Paves the Path Ahead
In 2017, Huzhou was officially designated as a national green finance reform and innovation pilot zone. Over the years, thanks to the dedicated participation and strong support from Dr. Ma Jun, Chief Economist at People's Bank of China at the time, and IFS founded by him, Huzhou has become a leader in green finance in China, and its continuous explorations and innovative practices have resulted in the much acclaimed "Huzhou Experience".
Over the past five years, as one of the first batch of innovative pilot zones, Huzhou has played a pioneering and exemplary role, by launching the "Green Credit” Platform, implementing Equator Principles at the Bank of Huzhou, establishing a regional ESG evaluation system for financing entities, debuting a transition finance support activity catalogue, and unveiling the first regional institutional framework of biodiversity finance, achieving remarkable results.
Foundation Collective Endeavors in Green Finance Bolster the Intellectual Pillar
In May 2023, under the guidance and support of Huzhou Municipal People’s Government, IFS initiated and signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Huzhou Municipal People’s Government to establish HZGF, aiming to further promote green finance innovation in Huzhou.
Fig. Signing Ceremony of Co-establishing HZGF
Current Landscape A Trailblazer in Green Finance, Charting New Ground
HZGF is a non-profit research institution based in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, specializing in forward-looking researches and practices on green finance and sustainable development, with an aim to promote domestic capacity building in green finance and actively participate in international cooperations.
Together with industry partners, HZGF is dedicated to supporting the construction of ecological civilization, providing scientific advice and professional guidance, and establishing Huzhou as a national green finance demonstration base and a global sustainable finance innovation base.
Currently, HZGF is proactively collaborating with industry partners to enhance sustainable capabilities of financial institutions, and promote green finance reforms for pioneering demonstration. Last month, HZGF successfully co-hosted "Sustainable Finance Frontier Trends and Hot Topics " Training with IFS, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), and CFA Institute. Themetic lectures were conducted on topics including global sustainable finance standard advancements, sustainable bond market practices, international ESG investment trends, climate and disaster risk finance, and Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) for financial institutions, providing references for Huzhou to further deepen green finance reforms.
Fig. "Sustainable Finance Frontier Trends and Hot Topics " Training
HZGF