Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) said it received an inaugural rating of 74 out of 100 for Hong Kong International Airport's environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance from Standard & Poor's (S&P), becoming the first airport worldwide to have its ESG rating globally publicised by S&P.

AAHK noted that the rating reflects AAHK's "good capabilities to address its moderate yet growing environmental and social exposure, and focus on maintaining its capacity to navigate potential disruptions". 

"The rating recognises AAHK’s comprehensive sustainability strategy for tackling environmental issues such as carbon emissions, land use, and biodiversity. AAHK’s advanced decarbonisation strategy was highlighted as the roadmap guiding AAHK towards its target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and promoting carbon reduction across the wider airport community," the announcement said.

"AAHK's high inaugural ESG rating underlines our commitment to placing sustainability at the centre of our long-term development.  It also demonstrates that our sustainability strategy meets and exceeds global standards," said Fred Lam, chief executive officer of AAHK.

"As HKIA transforms from a city airport into an Airport City, we will continue to maintain strong practices and work closely with our business partners to strengthen the airport’s position as an international aviation hub," Lam added.

AAHK noted that S&P commended that AAHK is adequately prepared to remain resilient in the future against potential disruptors such as climate change, technology and innovation, growth in passenger and cargo volumes, among others.