Green Infrastructure Investment Opportunities THE GUANGDONG-HONG KONG-MACAO GREATER BAY AREA 2021 REPORT

The 2021 Green Infrastructure Investment Opportunities report by the Climate Bonds Initiative identifies significant low-carbon investment potential in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). It details sector-specific opportunities in transport, energy, water, waste, buildings, and new infrastructure, while providing six strategic recommendations to mobilize private capital through green finance instruments and harmonized standards.

• The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) faces high climate vulnerability, specifically regarding natural hazards and flood risks, which necessitates investment in low-carbon and resilient infrastructure to meet Paris Agreement goals.
• Guangdong Province has set ambitious green infrastructure targets for its 14th Five-Year-Plan (FYP), with a total expected investment of RMB5tn (USD776.9bn), of which at least RMB1.9tn (USD299bn) is dedicated to green infrastructure.
• Significant investment opportunities exist in low-carbon transport, including a planned RMB880bn (USD135bn) for rail transit during the 14th FYP in Guangdong and a GBA intercity railway construction plan with a total investment of approximately USD72.7bn.
• Renewable energy targets for the region include Guangdong's plan to install 30GW of offshore wind power by 2030 with over USD69bn in investment, and a commitment from China Southern Power Grid Corporation to reach 80% clean energy installation in the GBA by 2035.
• Sustainable water management is a priority due to severe water shortages in cities like Shenzhen and Dongguan. Guangdong plans to invest RMB251bn (USD38.5bn) in flood control, water supply, and water conservancy during the 14th FYP.
• Waste management goals include reducing per capita municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal rates by 40% in Hong Kong by 2022 (from 1.27kg to 0.8kg per day) and by 30% in Macao by 2026 (from 2.11kg to 1.48kg per capita).
• Green building adoption is increasing, with Guangdong adding over 500 million m2 of green buildings during the 13th FYP. New regulations issued in November 2020 require all new civil buildings in the province to meet basic green building standards.
• New infrastructure, defined as 'digital, smart, and innovative', is a top priority. Guangdong plans to build 200 hydrogen fuelling stations by the end of 2022 and approximately 250,000 charging piles by the end of 2025.
• Green finance is growing in the GBA, with green bond issuance from GBA entities reaching USD16.9bn as of December 31, 2020. Buildings were the dominant theme in 2020, accounting for 41% of the total volume.
• The report provides six recommendations to unlock investment: promoting green securitisation, issuing local government green bonds, leveraging Hong Kong's capital market, harmonising green definitions, improving project visibility via an online database, and integrating sustainability into post-COVID recovery.

APA

Zhu, L., & Lau, I. (2021). Green Infrastructure Investment Opportunities THE GUANGDONG-HONG KONG-MACAO GREATER BAY AREA 2021 REPORT. Climate Bonds Initiative. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/cbi_gba_giio_02c.pdf

Chicago

Zhu, Laqiqige, and Ivy Lau. Green Infrastructure Investment Opportunities THE GUANGDONG-HONG KONG-MACAO GREATER BAY AREA 2021 REPORT. Climate Bonds Initiative, 2021. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/cbi_gba_giio_02c.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zhu |first1=Laqiqige |last2=Lau |first2=Ivy |title=Green Infrastructure Investment Opportunities THE GUANGDONG-HONG KONG-MACAO GREATER BAY AREA 2021 REPORT |publisher=Climate Bonds Initiative |date=June 2021 |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/cbi_gba_giio_02c.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zhu2021green, author = {Zhu, Laqiqige and Lau, Ivy}, title = {{Green Infrastructure Investment Opportunities THE GUANGDONG-HONG KONG-MACAO GREATER BAY AREA 2021 REPORT}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/cbi_gba_giio_02c.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }