Airport Authority Hong Kong Publishes Sustainable Finance Framework

(HONG KONG, 3 January 2022, 1200hrs)  –  Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) announces the publication of its inaugural Sustainable Finance Framework (SFF) and Second Party Opinion in relation to the Sustainable Finance Framework. 

AAHK’s SFF sets out how AAHK intends to enter into Sustainable Finance Transactions (SFTs) to fund expenditure on projects that will deliver environmental and/or social benefits and support AAHK’s objective to become the world’s greenest airport, which will also further the development of sustainable urban infrastructure in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. SFTs includes bonds, loans and other forms of debt financing to support sustainable development by application of the proceeds to Eligible Green & Social Projects Categories as defined in the SFF.

A second party opinion has been obtained for the SFF from Sustainalytics with respect to the SFF’s alignment with the Green Bonds Principles, Green Loan Principles, Social Bond Principles, Social Loan Principles and Sustainability Bond Guidelines. Sustainalytics released the Second Party Opinion on 29 November 2021 stating that it is of the opinion that AAHK’s SFF is credible and impactful and aligns with the Sustainability Bond Guidelines 2021, Green Bond Principles 2021, Social Bond Principles 2021, Green Loan Principles 2021, and Social Loan Principles 2021 based on Sustainalytics’ assessment of the four components of AAHK’s SFF including use of proceeds, process for project evaluation and selection, management of proceeds and reporting.

BofA Securities, BNP PARIBAS, HSBC and UBS acted as Joint Sustainability Structuring Advisors while ANZ, Bank of China, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan and Standard Chartered Bank acted as Joint Associate Sustainability Structuring Advisors in connection with the establishment of AAHK’s SFF.

Links to AAHK’s SFF and Sustainalytics Second Party Opinion are available below.

Sustainable Finance Framework

https://www.hongkongairport.com/iwov-resources/file/sustainability/environment/sustainable-finance/AA_Sustainable_Finance_Framework_Final.pdf

Sustainalytics Second Party Opinion in relation to the Sustainable Finance Framework

https://www.hongkongairport.com/iwov-resources/file/sustainability/environment/sustainable-finance/Airport_Authority_Sustainable_Finance_Framework_Second-Party_Opinion_Final.pdf