Exchange in Focus: LuxSE launches unique data hub for sustainable finance

16 September 2020

The Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) launched the LGX DataHub, a unique, centralised database of structured data on a vast range of sustainable securities. Built and managed by the sustainable finance team at LuxSE, the LGX DataHub addresses the complex data challenge that asset managers and investors are facing when building sustainable investment strategies or reporting on their investments. “Asset managers and investors need structured, reliable and complete data sets to build their sustainable investment portfolios. With the LGX DataHub, we have identified and collected the data market players need for their analysis and reporting purposes. We make this data available in a structured and searchable form to our users. Transparency is the best way to create trust and confidence among investors, and transparency is built on data,” explains Julie Becker, Deputy CEO of LuxSE and Founder of Luxembourg Green Exchange (LGX). The LGX DataHub is a centralised database that gathers data on Green, Social and Sustainability securities, offering a unique level of granularity. It includes detailed pre-issuance and post-issuance information that market participants need to build sustainable investment strategies, meet their reporting requirements and stay compliant with new regulations. Pre-issuance data covers the commitments made by the issuers in terms of use of proceeds, project selection, and management of proceeds and reporting. Post-issuance data, on the other hand, provides information on how the proceeds of the bonds are invested, and indicates what the environmental and social benefits of these investments are. The LGX Datahub also features data points illustrating an investment’s contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, such as a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. As such, asset managers and investors will now be able to access, search and explore a vast amount of data points on sustainable securities and the underlying assets. The LGX DataHub also enables them to extract the relevant information and easily compare the impact of different sustainable investments.  “Data collection is a manual and time-consuming task. Thanks to LGX DataHub and its user-friendly features, market participants can access all the data they need in one centralised place. This means that they can spend less time gathering data and more time building and implementing their sustainable investment strategies,” comments Laetitia Hamon, Head of Sustainable Finance at LuxSE. At launch, the LGX DataHub covers structured and granular data on the full universe of Green, Social and Sustainability bonds displayed on the Luxembourg Green Exchange (LGX). The scope of the LGX DataHub will gradually increase to cover the entire universe of listed, sustainable securities.

SSE Databases 

The SSE’s research pillar aims to support a better understanding of the key sustainability issues facing stock exchanges and provide decision-ready data and best-practice examples to assist exchange leaders in their sustainability efforts. Research compiled by the SSE initiative is provided free of charge as a public good and is available on the SSE’s website, through publications, and via interactive online databases. SSE Stock Exchange Database To learn more, visit the SSE’s database of stock exchange sustainability activities. Currently, the database has data on 103 stock exchanges and tracks progress on key activities where exchanges are promoting sustainable business and investment practices. It is the largest data set of its kind and the data is freely accessible.    SSE ESG Guidance Database The SSE ESG Guidance Database contains a comprehensive list of all stock exchange ESG guidance documents in the world so that other stock exchanges can learn from their peers. The database is now updated to include an analysis of major ESG reporting instruments referenced in stock exchange guidance documents. To learn more, check our press release about the new database.     Securities regulators database SSE has a new interactive Securities Regulators Database to provide examples of how securities regulators are already contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. These examples can be filtered by the ten action areas found in the SSE’s Action Plan for securities regulators which is the central guidance of the SSE publication How securities regulators can support the Sustainable Development Goals. To learn more about SSE work in this area, visit our Securities Regulator workstream on the SSE website.   

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.