| The eighth Annual Sustainability Survey published by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), the global industry group for exchanges and central clearing counterparties, has revealed a significant advance in the depth and scope of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) – with an increased focus on the transition to carbon neutrality. This year’s report confirms the strength of what has consistently been a positive trend in the response of exchanges to ESG issues.
The WFE Sustainability Survey is the only report that provides a picture of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) activity at market infrastructures across the world. It captures both the nature and extent of member engagement with ESG issues in both developed and emerging markets. Since its launch in 2014, the Sustainability Survey has consistently captured the growing engagement with ESG matters among the WFE membership.
Nandini Sukumar, Chief Executive Officer of the WFE, said: “Our new survey results highlight the vital role that the exchange industry plays in the shift towards a sustainable and inclusive global economy. It is encouraging for us, as an industry that has championed ESG in financial markets for more than a decade, to see a positive trend towards carbon neutrality accompanied by genuine interest and engagement in these issues from stakeholders.” Notable highlights from the survey include: |
|
| • | Exchanges increased their efforts by reducing their own carbon footprint, promoting the transition of their listed companies to a climate-neutral or carbon-neutral economy, and committing to Net-Zero pledges. |
| • | Eight respondents (out of 54) reported participating in 12 ESG initiatives in 2021, compared to five respondents in 2020. |
| • | Initiatives offering ESG education have rapidly gained relevance over the years. They ranked eighth in 2019 In terms of the number of exchanges pursuing them, third in 2020, and second in this survey. |
| • | Not only has the number of exchanges participating in sustainability initiatives increased but also more initiatives were implemented per exchange. The average number of initiatives per exchange increased from 7.7 to 8.4. |
| • | The number of exchanges implementing initiatives that meet all five of the WFE Sustainability Principles increased by 17% to 69%. |
| • | Sustainability concerns and the opportunities for business expansion were again the most frequently reported motivations for ESG engagement. On the other hand, business and economic concerns remain the main concerns around sustainability efforts, while the lack of resources was seen as the second major concern. |
| • | Efforts on ESG were more evenly distributed across Environmental (31.2%), Social (30.6%) and Governance (38.6%) components, compared to 25.8%, 31.3% and 42.9% respectively a year earlier. |
| • | While green bonds continue to be the most offered ESG product, offerings across all sustainability product categories have increased. |
| • | Eight respondents reported engaging in initiatives to prevent human rights abuses in the supply chains, and three respondents reported participating in all of the 13 listed ESG initiatives. |
| • | There was limited progress regarding gender equality, with only small increases in the average percentage of female representation at Board and Senior Management positions. |
| The Sustainability Survey maps exchanges’ activities against the WFE’s Sustainability Principles, which all exchanges, both WFE members and others, continue to demonstrate sustained engagement with. Published in October 2018, these Principles state that exchanges will educate participants about sustainability issues; promote the enhanced availability of ESG information; engage stakeholders to advance the sustainable finance agenda; provide markets and products that support the development of sustainable finance; and embed sustainability into the exchange’s governance, strategy, and organisational structures. A total of 54 exchanges participated in this year’s survey. As in previous years, the survey questionnaire was revised to capture the latest exchange-related sustainability developments. You can download a copy of the report here. |
|
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
And receive exclusive articles on securities markets
Pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and other institutional asset owners are sitting on vast troves of data -- but extracting value from that data is more challenging than ever.
#AssetOwners #DataQuality
Technology costs in asset management have grown disproportionately, but McKinsey research finds the increased spending hasn’t consistently translated into higher productivity.
#AI #Fiance
We're in the FINAL WEEK for the European Women in Finance Awards nominations – don't miss your chance to spotlight the incredible women driving change in finance!
#WomenInFinance #FinanceAwards #FinanceCommunity #EuropeanFinance @WomeninFinanceM
ICYMI: @marketsmedia sat down with EDXM CEO Tony Acuña-Rohter to discuss the launch of EDXM International’s perpetual futures platform in Singapore and what it means for institutional crypto trading.
Read the full interview: https://bit.ly/45xRUWh
Related articles
-
This is a significant step toward closing the information gap between public and private markets.
-
More than $200m has been initially committed to bolster the blue economy across emerging markets.
-
The ETF gives exposure to euro sovereigns through a climate transition-focused investment strategy.
-
The world’s largest investment firms are leveraging technology and partnerships to extract more value from t...
-
Data blind spots, specifically in private companies, have created challenges for institutions.
We're Enhancing Your Experience with Smart Technology
We've updated our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy to introduce AI tools that will personalize your content, improve our market analysis, and deliver more relevant insights.These changes take effect on Aug 25, 2025.
Your data remains protected—we're simply using smart technology to serve you better. [Review Full Terms] | [Review Privacy Policy] By continuing to use our services after Aug 25, 2025, you agree to these updates.
