Hong Kong banks must step up preparedness for extreme climate events and carbon policy changes, stress test finds
- More intense climate hazards will cause banks to suffer an annual operational loss of US$282 million, HKMA says
- HKMA will conduct a similar test two years from now, CEO says
Hong Kong banks need to step up their preparedness for risks arising from extreme climate events such as flooding and typhoons, as well as policy changes related to carbon emissions.
“The banks project that the more intense climate hazards will cause them to suffer an annual operational loss of HK$2.2 billion (US$282.1 million), which is equivalent to 0.8 per cent of their profit before tax in 2019,” the HKMA report said.
The finding is significant, because the 27 banks studied had HK$2.9 trillion in property related loans, with half of these residential mortgage loans. And about 32 per cent of property used as collateral was located in coastal or low-lying areas and was more vulnerable to the risks of flooding or a rise in sea levels. These banks also provide 80 per cent of loans in Hong Kong.