The 2024 Advanced Seminar on Green Finance was successfully held in Hangzhou on May 16-17, with around 100 attendees. Guided by PBOC Zhejiang Branch, the Seminar was hosted by the Finance Association of Zhejiang Province, organized by Trans Fintech, and co-organized by HZGF and the Beijing Frontier Institute of Regulation and Supervision Technology (FIRST).
The Seminar featured lectures from seven distinguished domestic experts and scholars in the field of green finance, including Ma Jun, Chairman of the Green Finance Committee of China Society for Finance and Banking and President of IFS. Centered on the forefront of green finance issues and major international and domestic trends, the Seminar covered topics such as green finance policies and theories, innovation in green finance products and services, carbon management and green finance, and biodiversity finance. Attendees shared innovative research developments in green finance, along with the most recent achievements in leading-edge areas like carbon asset management, climate risk assessment and mitigation, information disclosure, and the application of digital technologies in fostering sustainability.
Fig. 1 Speech by Deputy Governor Lu Weifeng
Lu WeiFeng, Deputy Governor of PBOC Zhejiang Branch and Executive Vice President of the Finance Association of Zhejiang Province, delivered the opening speech. He emphasized that, against the backdrop of the joint issuance of the Guiding Opinions of Further Strengthening Financial Support for Green and Low-Carbon Development by seven ministries and commissions including the PBOC, conducting a specialized training program themed on green finance is both timely and essential. He urged attendees to grasp the profound importance of adhering to an eco-priority, economical and intensive, and green and low-carbon growth path through this learning and exchange platform, to enhance theoretical knowledge and professional skills in green finance, and to effectively facilitate the expansion of green finance services of financial institutions, thereby making renewed and substantial contributions to the high-quality evolution of green finance in Zhejiang and its pursuit of "Two Pilot Drives".
Fig. 2 Lecture by President Ma Jun
Ma Jun presented the theoretical researches and latest practices in green and transition finance. He also elaborated on the necessity for financial institutions and enterprises to enhance ESG performance, and outlined practical implementation strategies.
Fig. 3 Lecture by Deputy General Manager Chen Yaqin
Chen Yaqin, Deputy General Manager of the Green Finance Department at China’s Industrial Bank (CIB) and Deputy Secretary General of the Green Finance Professional Committee of China Society for Finance and Banking, provided an in-depth overview of the latest case studies in product and service innovation within green finance. She also detailed CIB's specific approaches in assisting clients to achieve the dual carbon goals.
Fig. 4 Lecture by Director Qi Jiuhong
Qi Jiuhong, Director and Assistant General Manager of the China Beijing Green Exchange (CBGEX), introduced the background behind the establishment of CBGEX, emphasizing the importance of carbon management for financial institutions and enterprises. He also outlined the development trajectory of China's carbon market, along with relevant policies and practices concerning investment and financing activities related to carbon reduction.
Fig. 5 Lecture by Vice President Bai Yunwen
Bai Yunwen, Vice President of IFS and Director of the Financing Natural Capital Solutions Center, presented the necessity of biodiversity finance, the latest international requirements and trends, and the practical implementation approaches in this regard.
Fig. 6 Lecture by Deputy Director Zhang Fang
Zhang Fang, Deputy Director of the ESG Investment Research Center of IFS, lectured on the best case and implementation strategies for low-carbon transitions in financial institutions, and the existing framework of sustainability disclosure requirements and standards.
Fig. 7 Lecture by Professor Fang Weihua
Fang Weihua, Professor of the Department of Emergency Management at Beijing Normal University, delivered a lecture on natural disaster risks and resilience and adaptation under the context of climate change, and introduced the climate risk monitoring system developed by the team at Beijing Normal University.
Fig. 8 Lecture by Director Wu Gongzhao
Wu Gongzhao, Co-founder and Director of the Innovation Consulting Department at Trans Fintech, comprehensively presented the research findings, and specific application scenarios and cases of digital technology in supporting sustainability. With a focus on the needs of financial institutions for product innovation and process management, he introduced innovative practices of digital technology in areas such as ESG evaluations, integrating ESG into credit assessments, ESG disclosure, transition finance, and climate risk assessments.
Fig. 9 Seminar Attendees Engage in Learning
Fig. 9 Seminar Attendees Engage in Learning
This Seminar received universal acclaim from the attendees. They gained a deep understanding of the latest policy requirements in sustainable and green finance, transition finance, biodiversity finance, carbon management, and other key topics. They also learned about practical approaches to green finance product innovation and the application of digital technology in supporting sustainability. Attendees remarked that the Seminar's content was highly enriching. They pledged to further digest the teachings upon returning to work positions, continually monitor the latest developments in green finance, and contribute to their organizations' support for the high-quality development of green finance in Zhejiang Province.
Source: Trans Fintech
HZGF