Climate Change in Hong Kong with the Integration of UN SDG 13 Climate Action

Climate change has always been a global concern due to the growing adverse impact on the economy, environment, and society. The United Nations attaches importance to tackling global climate change issues by releasing some multilateral agreements through its periodic conferences. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) were put forward in 2015, and SDG 13 focuses on climate action. Responding to the global concern on climate change, some international organizations establish climate-related disclosure reporting standards for different entities to evaluate the climate-related risks and opportunities. Asia bears the brunt of climate risks. In Asia, Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region (SAR) within the People’s Republic of China, takes proactive actions to align with SDG 13. The Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) underlines the importance of climate-related issues in the latest Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Reporting Guide (the ESG Guide). Some listed companies integrate UN SDGs and prioritize climate change in their ESG disclosures. The Hong Kong policymakers release regulations supporting the mitigation and adaptation of climate change impacts. The community contributes to raise public awareness through education. Building resilience to climate change requires joint and constant efforts from policymakers, market regulators, business entities, and the community. This chapter provides these related parties with insights into the current response to climate change globally, particularly in Hong Kong, and further improvement to align the UN SDG 13 with strategic targets and business operations in Hong Kong context.