August News Highlights

August News Highlights

28 August 2019

This month includes news from Santiago Exchange, LuxSE, B3, NSE, MOEX, Bursa Malaysia, ASX, SET, ESMA, CSA, DNB, STOXX, UBS, Warsaw Exchange, NYSE, Euronext, HKEX and more. Monthly news highlights are compiled by the SSE to give an overview of the capital markets sustainability news from that month.
 
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SSE INITIATIVE NEWS & EVENTS

SSE Launches Official Supporters Program July 2019 Since its founding 10 years ago, the SSE has grown to include almost all stock exchanges worldwide, and has become the premier platform for collaboration and learning for stock exchanges with capital market regulators, investors, issuers and financial service providers. The SSE seeks partners to become SSE Official Supporters, contributing $10,000 USD annually to ensure exchanges and other key capital market stakeholders have the technical assistance, tools and expertise required to meet their sustainability objectives. On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, the SSE is inviting its partner stock exchanges and other stakeholders to announce their commitment to supporting the initiative and to sustainable capital markets. Find out more here, and contact the SSE Team if you're interested in joining this program. The founding Official Supporters will be announced at the SSE 10 Year Anniversary Event in New York on 26 September. EVENT: UN SSE initiative 10 Year Anniversary Celebration 26 September 2019, New York Stock Exchange, New York, USA In 10 years, the SSE has grown to 90 exchanges, listing 51,000 companies valued at 86 trillion USD, and it is still growing. This illustrates that participating in a conversation on environmental, social and governance factors has become a necessary part of the investor-exchange-issuer dialogue. To mark the 10 year anniversary since the SSE was initiated in 2009 by the United Nations Secretary General in New York, partners are invited to join in commemorating the progress of sustainable stock exchanges and charting a path for the next 10 years.This is an invitation only event. For more information, please contact the SSE team.  

SSE EXCHANGE IN FOCUS ARTICLES

Chile and Luxembourg Stock Exchanges join forces The Santiago Exchange and the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, SSE Partner Exchanges since 2014 and 2016 respectively, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement to facilitate the cross listing and trading of financial securities in both markets. The priorities of this general framework are green and social bonds, which would be promoted and mobilised as sustainable finance mechanisms through both domestic and international capital markets.  

WEBINARS AND EVENTS

The World Economic Forum announces its third annual Sustainable Development Impact Summit in New York 23-24 September, New York The two-day event will convene over 700 leaders from government, business and civil society, who will propose new initiatives to foster collective action. More information will be provided in September
LuxFLAG announces Sustainable Investment Week for October 22-24 October, Luxembourg The Luxembourg fund labeling agency has announced its inaugural Sustainable Investment Week. The event will feature some 15 standalone events at various locations around the Grand Duchy.

CONSULTATIONS

Call for feedback on TEG report on EU Taxonomy Due: 13 September 2019 This call for feedback is part of ongoing work by Directorate-general for financial stability, financial services and capital markets union, Directorate-general for environment, Directorate-general for climate action and Directorate-general for energy on sustainable finance, for which the European Commission has set up a dedicated Technical expert group (TEG).  

STOCK EXCHANGE NEWS

B3 included in the FTSE4Good Emerging Latin America Sustainability Index 7 August 2019 B3 has been included for the third consecutive year in the FTSE4Good Emerging Latin America Sustainability Index, created by the international index provider FTSE Russell. NSE appoints 2face as its ‘Good Cause Ambassador 7 August 2019 The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has announced the appointment of multi-award winning artiste as its Good Cause Ambassador. According to Oscar N. Onyema, CEO of the NSE, 2face’s focus on promoting social causes through his music aligns with NSE’s commitment to creating sustainable value for its diverse stakeholders as well as increasing impact in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). MOEX to establish Sustainability Sector with the support of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development 13 August 2019 The updates to the Moscow Exchange Listing Rules created, as of the 12th of August, a Sustainability Sector consisting of three independent segments: green bonds, social bonds and national projects. The segment for national projects will include Russian and international bonds that meet the objectives of national projects such as "Environment", "Demography" and "Public Health" The World Federation of Exchanges publishes a white paper on sustainability and commodity derivatives 20 August 2019 The global industry group for exchanges and CCPs aims at exploring sustainability and stimulating the discussion among the WFE membership and the wider commodity derivatives industry. Access to the paper here. The Nigerian Stock Exchange announces the commencement of the 2019 edition of the NSE Essay Competition 28 August 2019 This year's topic aims to tasks students on their understanding of the role of the capital market in achieving the SDGs.  
Bursa Malaysia And NCWO launches Hari Wanita 2019 And Investment Seminar To Empower Women 28 August 2019 In conjunction with Hari Wanita 2019, approximately 280 women attended the seminar at Bursa Malaysia Berhad on 24 August 2019, jointly organised for the first time by the Exchange and the National Council of Women’s Organisations Malaysia.
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) celebrated Emirati Woman's Day 28 August 2019 The celebration highlighted the efforts made by Emirati women working at ADX and emphasised the importance of women's participation all across the financial sector. SET signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IFC to jointly push the Thai capital market towards sustainability 29 August 2019 The cooperation centers on raising awareness of the benefits of sustainable investment products, disclosing information related to sustainability, educating the capital market’s human resource and investors on sustainability.  

REGULATOR NEWS

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) issues guidance on climate change- related disclosure 1 August 2019 The regulator announced the publication of CSA Staff Notice 51-358 Reporting of Climate Change-related Risks, intended to clarify existing regulations and assist companies in identifying and improving their disclosure of material risks posed by climate change. ESMA issues a call for candidates for its newly-established Data Advisory Group 6 August 2019 Interested individuals with expertise on market data regulatory reporting issues and record keeping can apply by no later than 16 September 2019, using the standard application form. More information here De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) plans to fine-tune its policy on responsible investment 9 August 2019 The Dutch regulator’s pension fund is aiming for an investment portfolio with a 30% outperformance on ESG.  

ESG INDICES AND PRODUCTS

UBS launches new equity and bond EFTs on Xetra with a focus on sustainability 6 August 2019 The new products offer investment vehicles in the top 50 stocks in the euro zone with a sustainable corporate focus. STOXX Ltd. has launched an ESG version of its flagship index EURO STOXX 50® 6 August 2019 The index was launched by the operator of Deutsche Boerse Group’s index business and global provider of innovative index concepts. It was licensed to UBS Asset Management as an underlying for an ETF listed in Frankfurt. Warsaw Stock Exchange launches Poland ESG equity Index 14 August 2019 The Warsaw Stock Exchange has a new equity index which provides exposure to blue-chip stocks listed in Poland while tilting to those with the strongest environmental, social, and governance (ESG) profiles. It includes 60 of the largest and most-liquid trading securities. First vegan investment fund coming to New York Stock Exchange 19 August 2019 An investment fund designed for animal rights advocates and environmentalists, the first of its kind according to financial experts, is set to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) next month. Solactive partnered with ISS ESG to develop an index that only includes companies that are engaged in the reducing, reusing, and recycling of plastics 28 August 2019 The new Solactive ISS ESG Beyond Plastic Waste Index includes companies offering solutions for efficient plastic recycling and the reductions of plastic pollution as well as corporations providing reusable products.  

MANAGEMENT NEWS

CBOE Global Markets, Inc. announced its Board of Directors elected Fredric J. Tomczyk 1 August 2019 Mr. Tomczyk, former President and Chief Executive Officer of TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation, was elected to fill a vacancy resulting from the Board increasing its size to fourteen members. Mr. Tomczyk, who is also Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, currently serves as a trustee of Liberty Property Trust. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET)’s Board of Governors appointed Chaiyawat Wibulswasdi as Chairman 6 August 2019 Chaiyawat Wibulswasdi will be Chairman of the BoG, which presently consists of 11 governors Euronext’s Supervisory Board has made five nominations in the governance of Euronext N.V. 20 August 2019 Stéphane Boujnah has been nominated for reappointment as CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board of Euronext N.V.; Håvard S. Abrahamsen has been nominated as member of the Managing Board of Euronext N.V.; Simone Huis in ‘t Veld has been nominated as CEO of Euronext Amsterdam and member of the Managing Board of Euronext N.V.. Nathalie Rachou and Morten Thorsrud have been nominated independent members of the Supervisory Board. All five nominations are for four year terms. HKEX welcomes Rico Leung to its Risk Management Committee 28 August 2019 In accordance with the Securities and Futures Ordinance, the new Executive Director of the Securities and Futures Commission, Mr. Leung, replaces the former Director, Mr. Keith Lui.

About the SSE

​The SSE initiative is a UN Partnership Programme organised by UNCTAD, the UN Global Compact, UNEP FI and the PRI. The SSE’s mission is to provide a global platform for exploring how exchanges, in collaboration with investors, companies (issuers), regulators, policymakers and relevant international organizations, can enhance performance on ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) issues and encourage sustainable investment, including the financing of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The SSE seeks to achieve this mission through an integrated programme of conducting evidence-based policy analysis, facilitating a network and forum for multi-stakeholder consensus-building, and providing technical assistance and advisory services.