Henderson Land Project Benefits

Hong Kong’s first biodiversity loan supports Henderson Land’s ambitious green coast 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 harbourfront in the Central Business District. Although the loan amount has not been disclosed, local reports estimate it at HK$100 million ($12.8 million).

In mid-May, both 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 centre, helping companies integrate ecological and urban development.

The move is in line with the growing number of Asia-based businesses. HSBC’s latest sustainability survey found that 60% of Asian businesses now consider climate change a primary strategic focus.

400 trees, 280 native plants

The funding will support smart systems to manage and maintain the newly created urban forest with over 400 trees and 280 native plant species planted at multiple locations along the “New Central Harbourfront”. It will also include surveys, assessments and monitoring of the project’s urban biodiversity, Henderson said in a statement in mid-May with HSBC and Hang Seng.

Central Yards has over 300,000 square feet of open green space, including the largest elevated garden in the district, spanning over 160,000 square feet. The first phase of the project should begin in the second half of 2027, while the second phase is tentatively scheduled for completion in 2032.

Jane Street will be the anchor tenant of Asia Central Yards. The quantitative trading firm signed a lease for 223,437 square feet in the building in June 2025 at HK$137 per square foot per month (HK$30.6 million per month, excluding fees). The deal is one of the largest leasing transactions in Central in the decades since the 1997 handover of Hong Kong and the restoration of mainland Chinese rule over the former British colony. Henderson paid a record-setting HK$50.8 billion for a 50-year land grant for the prime site in 2021.

The vacancy rate for premium Hong Kong office space increased marginally to 13.5% in March, from 13.4% a month earlier.

This article is published in the June 2026 issue global finance magazine.