ESG Ratings for China’s Urban Development Officially Launched

Release time：07 March 2023

Recently, ESG Ratings for China’s Urban Development, a book jointly compiled by Professor Zhang Bohui, Executive Dean of the School of Management and Economics (SME), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), Wu Haifeng, Director of the Research Center of the Shenzhen Institute of Data Economy and Research Fellow of the Shenzhen Finance Institute (SFI), the research team, and Chiu Tzu-Kuan, Professor of the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance, Shanghai Jiaotong University, was officially published by China Financial Publishing House.

The book gives a broad picture of ESG ratings for China’s urban development. With a focus on the 17 sustainable development issues from the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and development goals towards modernization with Chinese characteristics in the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for the National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035, based on more than 120 indicators in terms of urban governance, economic growth, ecological environment, people’s livelihood and well-being, and spiritual civilization, it studies the ESG ratings for the development of 39 major cities in China, including municipalities, cities specifically designated in the state plan, sub-provincial cities, and provincial capitals in a big picture, with fruitful outcomes.

An established broad picture of ESG ratings for urban development can help readers scientifically and objectively quantify and judge the progress and achievements of Chinese cities in practising the concept of sustainable development and improving governmental governance efficiency while providing data support for identifying shortcomings and deficiencies. The authors hope that such ESG ratings for urban development can lend valid reference to various governments and think tanks in policy decision-making for high-quality development. In addition, the authors hope that the book can provide tools for empirical analysis on future sustainable development theories at home and abroad, and contribute to the strength of Chinese academic institutions in rating standards for international sustainable development.

Authors

Zhang Bohui

Presidential Chair Professor of CUHK-Shenzhen

Executive Dean of SME, CUHK-Shenzhen

Director of the Center for FinTech and Social Finance, SFI

Associate Director of the Shenzhen Institute of Data Economy

Chiu Tzu-Kuan

Professor of Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance, Shanghai Jiaotong University and Academic Director of the Special Fund for Sustainable Finance Discipline Development