Bourse issues ESG reporting guidelines
MANAMA: Bahrain Bourse (BHB) has issued Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) voluntary reporting guidelines for listed companies.
The voluntary reporting guideline aims to increase awareness and understanding of the importance and benefits of ESG reporting and assist listed companies to address ESG issues in their reporting to meet the requirements of institutional investors for material ESG information.
BHB chief executive Shaikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said, “As a partner exchange member of the Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative and a member of the World Federation of Exchanges, Bahrain Bourse has made a formal commitment to drive sustainability in the capital market of Bahrain. Building upon this initiative, we have issued the ESG reporting guidance to encourage and assist listed companies in disclosing ESG information that investors can use to make informed and responsible investment decisions.”
“The guideline includes the latest third-party reporting methodologies widely adopted by the industry and aims to assist listed companies in navigating the evolving standards on ESG reporting and disclosure. We are looking forward to enhance transparency and disclosure in Bahrain’s capital market by supporting listed companies’ alignment with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” he added.
While implementation of the ESG guidelines is voluntary, the reporting guidance encourages listed companies to disclose a set of 32 ESG metrics and indicators in alignment with the recommendations of the Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative and the World Federation of Exchanges, Global Reporting Initiatives (GRI) standards, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The guidelines explain the key regional and international drivers for adoption of ESG reporting, the importance of ESG reporting, the ways to report on ESG, and concludes with Bahrain Bourse’s efforts in promoting sustainability.
BHB officially joined the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative in February 2019 to demonstrate its commitment to promote sustainable and transparent capital markets in co-operation with listed companies, investors, and other stakeholders.
Source: http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/825493
