Hong Kong can be a ‘super connector’ for impact investing – financial secretary at AVPN conference
Paul Chan says Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to channel capital for good, while Naina Subberwal Batra opens the AVPN annual conference with a call for Asia’s impact community to take the lead in building a more inclusive world.
Hong Kong’s financial secretary yesterday pitched the special administrative region as a “super connector” for impact investing, ready to lead Asia’s efforts to boost purpose-driven finance.
Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was speaking to hundreds of impact investors and philanthropists at the AVPN annual conference, which is taking place this week in Hong Kong.
In a show of political support for impact investing from the Hong Kong government, Chan said he was delighted that impact investing was “front and centre” this week. He added that Hong Kong had been “doing well” as a financial and business centre in recent years, “but we know that doing well alone is no longer enough. The imperative of our time is clear: we must do good while doing well”.
Chan said that while impact investing had been growing at scale globally, not enough of it came from Asia. He said research shows that of the US$1.6tn worth of impact investments worldwide, just 15% came from Asia – despite it being home to more than half of the world’s population.
Meanwhile, the UN estimated the investment needed to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) on the continent at US$1.5tn. “The gap between need and available private capital is vast,” said Chan.
But he added rising levels of wealth in the region meant more money could be used for impact – it just needed to be connected with the right investment opportunities. “How can we better connect opportunities with capital where it is needed most?” he asked.
“This is exactly where Hong Kong comes in. Hong Kong has always been a super connector. A conduit for global capital and a value adder. We are built for this.”
Hong Kong has always been a super connector. A conduit for global capital and a value adder. We are built for this
Hong Kong, which is part of China but operates under a separate economic and administrative system, benefits from its position as a connector between the Democratic Republic of China and the “rest of the world”, Chan said. He argued that the special administrative region was also a “global centre and a strategic hub for philanthropy, sustainable finance and impact investing”.
Asian leadership
AVPN is Asia’s largest network of social investors – from philanthropists to profit-first impact investors – and numbers more than 700 members in 43 countries. This year’s conference, themed “Asian Leadership for an Inclusive World”, brings together 1,500 delegates and features 300 speakers across 100 sessions.
Opening the event yesterday, AVPN CEO Naina Subberwal Batra (pictured above) called for Asian social investors to take the lead in tackling the world’s challenges, as flows of western foreign aid towards Asia dropped, while challenges like climate change and poverty were more acute than ever.
She added: “[Asia] is a critical driver of global impact, but in order to lead, we must stop leading from the sidelines… Global progress depends on Asia’s leadership. That leadership comes from demonstrating the clarity of the Asian voice, and the confidence to claim our seat at the table.”
Asia is a critical driver of global impact, but in order to lead, we must stop leading from the sidelines
The current geopolitical climate, where an isolationist US under the presidency of Donald Trump was ending western-led international cooperation as we knew it, meant the focus on Asia “couldn't be more timely”, said Roshini Prakash, chief knowledge officer at AVPN, speaking to the press on Monday, ahead of the conference opening.
She added that among increasing divisions, budget cuts and political and economic instability, many countries struggled to sustain their commitments to inclusive and sustainable development. But despite this, she argued, “here in Asia, we see that philanthropists, impact investors and other resource providers are continuing to stay the course… instead of stepping back, they are staying true to their commitments and to the communities that they serve.”
Pioneers Post is attending the AVPN conference 2025 in Hong Kong this week. Stay tuned for more.
Top image: Hong Kong financial secretary Paul Chan speaks at the 2025 AVPN conference on Tuesday. Courtesy of AVPN.
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