To track the sustainable development journey of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) business community, HKTDC Research and UOB Hong Kong collaborated on a new study in the third quarter of 2025, where 600 enterprises based in either Hong Kong or one of the 5 Mainland GBA cities (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, Dongguan or Zhongshan) took part in a questionnaire-based survey. All these enterprises had to be committed to expanding their ASEAN-related business and to implementing greener trading practices.
Enterprises Highly Value Hong Kong’s Role in Driving GBA Green Development
From the survey, it was notable that many enterprises have a high regard for Hong Kong’s role in promoting green and sustainable development of GBA enterprises. The percentage of those who “fully agree” and “quite agree” that Hong Kong has a variety of advantages in this regard was in the range 70% to 90%.
Hong Kong’s Distinct Advantage: In Line with International Green Standards
Compared with the findings of the 2023 survey, the percentage of those acknowledging these various advantages increased overall. The most notable improvements are seen in two areas: Hong Kong’s rich experience in green services and the environmental certification system that in line with European and US markets. These two factors also remain the most highly recognised strengths among enterprises. Beyond that, many respondents also cited Hong Kong’s advantage as an international financial centre when it came to securing green financing opportunities (83%).
80-90% of GBA Enterprises Consider More Extensive Adoption of Hong Kong’s Green Products and Services
Of the surveyed enterprises, 80‑90% indicated that they would consider using or increase their use of Hong Kong’s green products and services in the next two years. In more detailed terms, more than 90%/ nearly 90% of the surveyed enterprises would consider using or increasing their use of (1) green financing services, (2) ESG reporting, due diligence, ESG rating, green asset valuation etc. (3) sustainability roadmap planning and consultancy services and (4) green financial products and services.
More GBA Enterprises Willing to Invest in ESG
Many of the participating enterprises plan to incorporate more ESG elements into their businesses in the next two years, while there has also been a significant increase in the number of ESG fields they plan to invest in, as well as the amount they are willing to invest. In particular, there has been a sustained increase in enterprises’ willingness to make use of Hong Kong’s green products and services as a means of implementing their green programmes, a development that has underlined Hong Kong’s growing prominence as a green platform.
Explore Full Survey Findings
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