The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish bilateral cooperation and cross-regional peer learning across carbon markets, green finance, and sustainable development.
The cross-border agreement was signed during an official diplomatic visit to Kazakhstan by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, John Lee Ka-chiu, who was accompanied by a senior delegation representing the Asian financial, energy, technology, and carbon trading sectors.
The transaction was formally executed by Bakhtiyar Tleubekov, Chairman of the Management Board of the AIFC Authority, and Bonnie Y Chan, Chief Executive Officer of HKEX.
The partnership is structured to bridge the financial and sustainability ecosystems of Central Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. Both institutions plan to align cross-regional standards, exchange technical expertise, and open up cross-border investment channels to support long-term economic integration.
Bakhtiyar Tleubekov, Chairman of the AIFC Authority Management Board, noted that the collaboration will target regional development in carbon markets, green finance, sustainable aviation, and innovative risk management solutions. He stated that the framework lays the groundwork for an integrated sustainable finance ecosystem across both jurisdictions.
Bonnie Y Chan, Chief Executive Officer of HKEX, highlighted the geopolitical context of the deal, emphasizing HKEX’s expanding connectivity with Belt and Road markets. She noted that as Central Asia’s role in global commodities and sustainable development expands, the partnership will help unlock new access for international issuers and investors. Chan added that the exchange is working alongside the Astana International Exchange (AIX) to explore future cross-border listings and commodities trading to support the two-way flow of capital between Hong Kong and Central Asia.
Under the terms of the MoU, the AIFC and HKEX will coordinate operations across several key environmental and financial workstreams:
- Carbon markets and decarbonisation: The parties will advocate for regional collaboration to support climate transition and industrial decarbonisation policies across both territories.
- Environmental instruments: The cooperation includes developing green finance frameworks and environmental instrument ecosystems. This involves creating distribution channels for these instruments throughout Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and the Caucasus, alongside promoting “soft connectivity” in standardising certification and issuance methodologies.
- Sustainable aviation: The memorandum outlines joint exploration into the financing and implementation of sustainable aviation initiatives, focusing on fuel-efficiency technologies and the transition to sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
- Risk management and insurance: The institutions will evaluate joint opportunities in the insurance and reinsurance sectors, focusing on risk assessment, underwriting models, and alternative financial instruments to manage cross-regional project risks.
- Capacity building and mining: The agreement mandates structured knowledge sharing and regular communication to track regulatory changes in each carbon market. Additionally, the parties will explore joint research initiatives and potential cooperation within the junior mining sector.
