The Honduras Stock Exchange - Bolsa Centroamericana de Valores (BCV) and Royal Securities Exchange of Bhutan (RSEB) have solidified their commitment to transparency and sustainability by becoming a member of the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative. The SSE’s newest member joins a network of now 106 stock exchanges around the world that are committed to promoting sustainable development.
The SSE works with stock exchanges through technical assistance, consensus building and research to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to stimulate investment for a sustainable future. Exchanges around the world partner with the SSE to work towards a common objective of fostering financial markets that support the growth of sustainable and responsible business practices.
Honduras Stock Exchange
"The Honduras Stock Exchange – Bolsa Centroamericana de Valores, BCV feels proud and honored to join the Sustainable Stock Exchange (SSE) initiative by signing a commitment letter to promote sustainable and transparent capital market on July 19th, 2021. BCV, feels proud to work toward Sustainable Goals and increases the development of Honduras Capital Market" said Ms. Maricruz Aparicio, CEO of the Honduras Stock Exchange.
In Honduras, some companies have already started to develop efforts in identifying ESG Risks in their own management and to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
For the first time in 2021, the Honduras Stock Exchange - BCV participated in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality to raise awareness and promote gender equality in their market and country. In addition, BCV Honduras has incorporated in their annual event of the Honduras Stock Education in September 2021 one whole day to talk about sustainability and its importance for developing capital markets said Ms. Aparicio. This event is organized in collaboration with the Honduran Regulator, Comisión Nacional de Bancos y Seguros, UNITEC Primary University in Honduras, and the rest of Honduras stock market participants: investors, companies issuers, policymakers, financial industries, and all the other companies.
Royal Securities Exchange of Bhutan
The RSEB created a separate Market Board to provide opportunities for the small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) to raise funds from the Capital Market in 2016.
SME markets promote and support SME listings, not just by facilitating access to capital, but also by providing an environment that enables SMEs to thrive. SMEs form a large proportion of companies and employers worldwide. According to the World Bank, SMEs provide at least 45% of the jobs and 33% of the GDP in emerging economies alone (source).
Mr. Dorji Phuntsho, CEO of Royal Securities Exchange of Bhutan, said: "It is a great honor to be a part of UNSSE, we are confident that this initiative will help our listed companies and the stakeholders to benefit from the values created through the adoption of ESG standards."
SSE Stock Exchange Database
To learn more, visit the SSE’s database of stock exchange sustainability activities. Currently, the database has data on 110 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.
