(Yicai Global) June 18 -- Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing will debut Asia's first free-of-charge information platform for socially responsible and environmentally friendly financial products later this year.

The HKEX Sustainable and Green Exchange, also to be known as STAGE, will become a central data hub for environmental, social, and governance securities listed in Hong Kong, the bourse said in a statement posted on its website today.

Issuers of green bonds in Asia Pacific raised USD18.9 billion last year, a record high, while China's mainland market made up more than 40 percent of that, the statement added. Hong Kong market housed USD26 billion worth of green bonds by the end of last year.

“Our goal is to help issuers raise awareness of their sustainable and green financial products, whilst also offering investors and asset managers easy access to information for their due diligence, selection and monitoring,” said Grace Hui, HKEX head of green and sustainable finance.

HKEX will later consider expanding STAGE's coverage to introduce more asset classes and products, such as derivatives related to ESG indexes, it added.

Editor: Emmi Laine