On 27 - 28 March, the UN SSE participated in the first Africa Sustainability Forum, co-hosted by the Capacity-building Alliance of Sustainable Investment (CASI), the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), South Africa’s National Treasury, and UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Johannesburg, South Africa.

UN SSE Chair Ms. Nan Li Collins delivered a keynote address, highlighting that the goal of expanding sustainable investment in developing markets necessitates better asset data, improved disclosures, and strong reporting frameworks. She applauded the progress made by the stock exchange members of the UN SSE across Africa in delivering ESG disclosure guidance for issuers, developing carbon markets and various other sustainability-focused initiatives, and stressed that transparency, credibility, and trust are essential for effective sustainable markets.

UN SSE Senior Specialist Ms. Corli le Roux moderated an expert panel exploring the topic of sustainability-related disclosure and reporting across Africa. The discussion, which included representatives from the IFRS-ISSB, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (South Africa’s capital market regulator) and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, touched on challenges such as aligning global frameworks with local regulatory practices and the critical need for customized approaches to deal with the needs of a just transition. Panelists from the WWF and Presidential Climate Commission noted practical insights into how African companies can leverage sustainability disclosures to attract investment, and stressed the need for capacity building across the investment value chain.

The press release from the event can be found here.