Henderson Land Project Gains First Biodiversity Loan
Hong Kong’s first biodiversity loan backs Henderson Land’s ambitious green waterfront transformation.
Henderson Land Development secured Hong Kong’s first biodiversity loan from HSBC and Hang Seng Bank to develop the city’s quarter-mile-long waterfront property.
The Central Yards project is the company’s flagship mixed-use development on the harborfront in the Central Business District. Although the loan amount remains undisclosed, local reports estimate it at HK$100 million ($12.8 million).
In mid-May, the two banks said the loan would provide a “scalable blueprint” for companies to achieve their sustainability goals and enhance Hong Kong’s position as a leading international sustainable finance center, helping companies integrate ecological and urban development.
The move aligns with what a growing number of Asia-based businesses want. HSBC’s latest sustainability survey found that 60% of Asian businesses now regard climate transition as a primary strategic focus.
400 Trees, 280 Native Plants
The funding would support smart systems to manage and maintain a newly created urban forest with more than 400 trees and 280 native plant species planted at several sites along the “New Central Harbourfront.” It would also cover surveys, assessments, and monitoring of the project’s urban biodiversity, Henderson said in a mid-May statement, along with HSBC and Hang Seng.
Central Yards boasts more than 300,000 square feet of open green space, including the district’s largest elevated garden, which spans more than 160,000 square feet. The first phase of the project should open in the second half of 2027, with the second phase tentatively scheduled for completion in 2032.
Jane Street Asia will be Central Yards’ anchor tenant. The quantitative trading firm signed a lease in June 2025 for 223,437 square feet in the building at HK$137 per square foot per month (HK$30.6 million per month), excluding fees. The deal ranks among the largest leasing transactions in Central in the decades since Hong Kong’s 1997 Handover and the resumption of mainland Chinese rule over the former British colony. Henderson paid a record-setting HK$50.8 billion for a 50-year land grant to the prime site in 2021.
Vacancy rates for premium Hong Kong office space marginally increased to 13.5% in March, up from 13.4% the month before.
This article appears in the June 2026 issue of Global Finance Magazine.