Hong Leong Bank’s dual-pronged ESG leadership: From financing a green economy to restoring Malaysia’s natural heritage
Securing two awards at the ESGBusiness Awards 2025, Hong Leong Bank is recognised for driving sustainable financing and spearheading mangrove restoration in Malaysia.
Hong Leong Bank’s (HLB) recent recognition at the ESGBusiness Awards 2025 is a powerful story about impact, not just accolades. By winning two key awards for its work in energy financing and biodiversity conservation, the bank shows it’s taking a hands-on approach to sustainability that’s beyond a polished ESG report. The bank is firm about making a tangible difference for Malaysia's economy and environment.
The first award, Renewable Energy Financing Programme Award - Malaysia, for its Renewable Energy (RE) Financing programme, highlights how HLB is helping businesses go green. Instead of just offering loans, it’s providing expert advice and tailored financial solutions to make the switch to clean energy both accessible and affordable. This initiative is a core part of its mission to channel RM20b into sustainable projects by FY2029.
To support this ambitious agenda, the bank had expanded its Growth Sector Specialist team, with experts in solar energy, bioenergy, climate, and green logistics offering advisory and tailored best practice guidance to enable customers’ respective decarbonisation journeys. By also helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with their own sustainability journey through its flagship SME ESG Readiness programmes, the bank is building a more resilient, low-carbon economy from the ground up. These SMEs are also provided access to Bank Negara Malaysia’s Low Carbon Transition Facility (LCTF), a national fund that offers financing at a lower cost to businesses that are adopting green practices, further promoting wider ESG adoption.
The second award, Biodiversity Conservation Award - Malaysia, is for HLB’s mangrove conservation project—an initiative that goes beyond the balance sheet. In partnership with the Malaysian Nature Society, the bank is actively restoring the Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP) by planting 50,000 mangrove trees since 2022. The first phase of these efforts has the potential to sequester over 1,200 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (“tCO₂e”) on average annually over the next 20 years. Phase two, currently underway, will expand the rehabilitation site and introduce an additional 50,000 saplings, bringing the overall offset potential to over 2,400 tCO₂e per year on average.
This work is critical for protecting Malaysia's coastlines, absorbing carbon, and supporting the park’s substantial biodiversity, with the park being home to over 150 species of birds and several primate species, including the Silvered Leaf Monkey, which is listed as Endangered and Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
"For HLB, ESG isn't just a corporate buzzword. It's a fundamental part of who we are. Our brand value of being 'Here For The Long Term' means we are deeply committed to ensuring the sustainability of the communities and environment we operate in. This isn't just about doing what's right as it's about building a resilient future together with our customers and partners,” said Chow Sheng Wai, Chief Sustainability Officer of HLB.
"This recognition affirms our belief that true sustainability leadership requires a dual focus: on driving economic transformation and on preserving our natural capital. Our sustainable financing framework empowers businesses to invest in a low-carbon future, whilst our mangrove conservation project demonstrates our commitment to tangible, on-the-ground environmental action. We see these efforts not as separate initiatives, but as two sides of the same coin, each vital for building a resilient, prosperous, and sustainable Malaysia for generations to come."
The ESGBusiness Awards celebrates companies that are leading the way in building a sustainable future. The awards programme honours businesses that demonstrate outstanding commitment and achievement in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.
The ESGBusiness Awards is presented by ESGBusiness. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's outstanding commitment and achievement in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez-Difuntorum at [email protected].
