Report published August 26, 2026
Net-Zero Navigator: Can Digital Assets Support Climate Goals? — HSBC Research
Source and citation context
- Report date
- August 26, 2026
- Analysis as of
- August 25, 2026
Authors / editors: Amy Tyler (Associate, Sustainability Research), Nneka Chike-Obi (Director, Head of Sustainability Research), Yaryna Kobel (Corporate Governance Analyst), Dominic Kini (Green Bond & Credit Strategist), Shiva Joon (Data Scientist), Ajani Sivapalan (Analyst, Sustainability Research), Amit Shrivastava (Director, Sustainability; European Equity Strategy), Daragh Maher (Head of Digital Assets Research, Sr FX Strategist), Thomas Devlin (Analyst, Data Science)
Finvaulta summarizes HSBC Global Investment Research's analysis. Attribute opinions, forecasts, time-sensitive values, and chronology to the issuer and report date; do not treat this page as an independent verification or a current market-data source.
This report examines how digital asset tokenisation can accelerate climate finance by enabling fractional ownership of clean energy infrastructure, green bonds, and carbon credits. While technological benefits and pilot issuances are advancing, large-scale adoption requires clearer regulatory frameworks, legal settlement finality, and robust blockchain governance.
Key Takeaways
- 1.Green asset tokenisation can mobilise capital for clean energy by enabling fractional ownership, lowering investment thresholds, and automating compliance via smart contracts.
- 2.Current energy transition investment (projected at USD3.4trn in 2026) remains far below BNEF's USD5.6trn annual requirement needed between 2025 and 2030 for net-zero.
- 3.Labelled green bond supply continues to grow (+16% YTD, accounting for 67% of labelled supply), while tokenised sovereign and green bond pilots are expanding in Hong Kong, Slovenia, and the Philippines.
Table of Contents
- Executive summary
- Emissions control
- Tokenised green assets
- Investment trends
- VC investment
- Emerging spaces
- Financing the transition
- Green bonds – Strong labelled bond supply, but concentrated in Europe
- Green bond tokenisation
- Carbon markets
- Inclusive resilience
- Financial inclusion
- Governance
- Tokenised assets and regulations
- Disclosure appendix
- Disclaimer
Report data
Contents — as of August 25, 2026.
| Metric | Estimate | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Required Annual Energy Transition Investment (2025-2030) | 5.6 USD trillion | Required annual investment to reach net-zero by 2050. |
| Expected Global Energy Investment in 2026 | 3.4 USD trillion | Includes USD2.2trn on clean energy and USD1.2trn on fossil fuels. |
| Climate and Clean Tech VC Market Investment | 137 USD billion | Total VC capital invested in climate and clean tech, increasing from USD122bn in 2024. |
| Labelled Bond Supply Growth | 3% | Year-to-date growth in total labelled bond issuance. |
| Green Bond Supply Share of Labelled Issuance | 67% | Green bonds represent dominant share of labelled supply and grew 16% YTD. |
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Authors / Editors
Reported Data Context
- Required Annual Energy Transition Investment (2025-2030): 5.6 USD trillion (2025-2030 average annual) · Source: BNEF
- Expected Global Energy Investment in 2026: 3.4 USD trillion (2026) · Source: IEA
- Climate and Clean Tech VC Market Investment: 137 USD billion (2025) · Source: PitchBook Data, Inc., HSBC
- Labelled Bond Supply Growth: 3 % (2026 YTD vs 2025 YTD) · Source: HSBC calculations, Dealogic, Bloomberg
- Green Bond Supply Share of Labelled Issuance: 67 % (2026 YTD) · Source: HSBC calculations, Dealogic, Bloomberg