This seminar will explore the innovative concept of fintech RE in the context of Hong Kong, a global financial centre striving to become a hub for green finance. Fintech RE refers to the digital financing of decentralised and distributed renewables, such as solar photovoltaic or wind installations with storage in homes or buildings, through peer-to-peer trading in a blockchain ecosystem. The seminar will examine expert perceptions from three divergent industries - energy, digital technology, and finance - on the impacts of this emergent innovation on Hong Kong and their respective industries. While fintech RE presents potential benefits, such as new opportunities for citizen participation in energy transition, new jobs, and contribution to decarbonisation, it also presents challenges to the territory’s electricity market arrangement, spatial issues with scaling and speeding up energy transition in a dense environment, and attendant emission pitfalls. The seminar will provide insights into the benefits and challenges of digital financing for decentralised and distributed renewables in Hong Kong, and its potential implications for the global financial centre.

The seminar will be moderated by Ms Rainbow Yi Hung Lam. 

This seminar is co-organized by IEMS and HKUST Division of Environment and Sustainability.