Produced in collaboration with a global multi-stakeholder advisory group of experts, the UNEP FI-led Stock Exchanges Initiative (SSE) has today produced a Model Guidance to support all exchanges in their work to enhance transparency in their markets. Investors and companies increasingly look to exchanges to help support more sustainable markets, yet fewer than one-third of all exchanges offer guidance on reporting environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations. To advance this effort, the SSE will publicly track 60 markets to clarify which exchanges offer guidance to their issuers, or have committed to doing so. Seven exchanges have already committed to producing their own reporting guidance.
To support this global effort, the UNEP-FI created Principles for Responsible Investment has launched a letter campaign, led by Allianz Global Investors, inviting investors and companies to engage exchanges on the importance of transparency. The letter specifically asks all exchanges who do not currently have a guidance to put one in place by the end of 2016 and therefore highlights an important opportunity for creating more sustainable capital markets. The final deadline to sign the letter will be 7 October.
Press release here
Model Guidance here