When we think of Hong Kong, we think of the quintessential concrete jungle. But a large part of the city’s economy is “blue” and dependent on marine resources. Take Hong Kong’s information and communications technology sector, for example, which accounts for 6.3% of the GDP. It is heavily reliant on submarine cables supported by coastal landing stations. Meanwhile, the maritime and port sector accounts for 4.2% of the GDP.

Read our report: “Blue Finance for a Blue Economy: Pathways to Marine Conservation in Hong Kong”

Hong Kong’s coast stretches more than 1,100km and the surrounding waters is home to rare and endangered species, as well as more hard coral than the Caribbean. How can the city leverage its strategic maritime position to continuously drive economic growth in a sustainable manner?

Some measures to protect Hong Kong’s blue economy include: establishing a marine policy, catalysing blue finance through investments such as blue bonds, blue carbon, resilience credits, blended finance, and impact investing, as well as supporting marine technology, science, and research. Furthermore, building marine ecotourism and implementing nature-based solutions are essential to conserving marine resources for future generations.

Watch our video above on Hong Kong’s Blue Economy to inspire strategies for developing sustainable marine industries.

Go to our Youtube page for more videos about our work.

Read more about how to leverage finance to support environmental conservation.