On May 31, 2023, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China’s Financial Working Group organized the “Sustainable Finance: Exploring New Horizons in China-EU Cooperation” Forum in Luxembourg. The forum aimed to facilitate the sharing of the latest practices, the exchange of developmental experiences, and the promotion of China-EU collaboration in the field of sustainable finance. The event was hosted by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Europe) and witnessed the participation of representatives from different fields of endeavor: banks, stock exchanges, and research institutions from both China and Europe. Li Li, the CEO of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Europe), delivered the opening remarks, setting the tone for a momentous occasion brimming with promise and possibilities.
Mao Qian, the Director of the International Cooperation Department at the International Institute of Green Finance (IIGF), attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech. Mao Qian provided an overview of the overall development and latest advancements in China’s green finance, highlighting the efforts made by regulatory authorities and financial institutions in China and Europe to promote green finance. She also shared the key discussions from the Sino-UK Green Finance Working Group meetings.
Mao Qian also emphasized the crucial role of international cooperation in advancing sustainable finance and underscored the significance of strengthening exchanges and dialogues between China and Europe in this field. Such collaboration holds profound implications for driving sustainable finance innovation and development in both China and the global context.
As concepts like green finance and ESG gain mainstream recognition in the financial sector, the collaboration in sustainable finance is expected to deepen and become more nuanced. Topics such as transformation finance, biodiversity finance, and gender finance are also expected to garner increasing attention.
Representatives from various esteemed institutions such as the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, Bank of China (Europe), China Construction Bank (Europe), Bank of Communications Luxembourg Branch, China Merchants Bank Luxembourg Branch, Everbright Bank Luxembourg Branch, Credit Agricole CIB (a subsidiary of Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank), and Banque Internationale a Luxembourg participated in the Forum.
The event was organized by the Financial Working Group of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Europe) as the chair. As the chair of the working group, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Europe) is `dedicated to enhancing economic and trade relations between China and Europe, promoting the exchange of new ideas, knowledge, and experiences within and beyond the financial working group.