Nasdaq announces ESG reporting technology solution

Source: Nasdaq, 22 January 2020

Nasdaq announced today it will offer corporate clients an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) workflow and reporting service. The platform seeks to help companies navigate the complex series of corporate sustainability frameworks available in the market today, streamlining the data gathering and response process to provide a more efficient way to send ESG-related data to ratings agencies and other stakeholders.

Sustainability reporting frameworks supported by the platform will include the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), ISS, MSCI, RobecoSAM, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), Sustainalytics, and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), among others.

“Our clients face several challenges with the ESG reporting process, including the lack of control over data management and survey fatigue due to the variety of raters and reporting frameworks,” said Nelson Griggs, President of the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. “We believe that we are uniquely positioned to solve for these challenges given the thousands of clients who rely on Nasdaq for counsel on a range of sustainability and governance-related issues. The new platform will broaden our strategic collaboration with corporates who are seeking new ways to bring efficiency and simplicity to the ESG reporting process.”

The new platform further builds on Nasdaq’s ESG-related products and services offered to corporate clients. These include Nasdaq’s ESG Advisory Solution to help companies analyze, assess and implement ESG programs with the goal of attracting long-term capital; Nasdaq Boardvantage®, a collaboration solution for boards, committees and leadership teams designed to facilitate paperless modern governance; the Center for Board Excellence, which provides board evaluations and other consultative services designed to advance governance excellence; the Nasdaq Nordic Green Bond Market, one of Europe’s most active Sustainable Debt markets; the Nasdaq Sustainable Bond Network, designed to improve transparency for global green, social and sustainable bonds; and Nasdaq’s global ESG Reporting Guide.

In 2019, Nasdaq achieved a number of significant ESG milestones for its work with clients, as well as within its own global operations. Examples include continued investor demand in its ESG screened Index and Index Futures in Europe; further advancements in its European ESG data offering for institutional and retail investors; and achieving carbon neutrality across all its business operations through the purchase of carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates.

For more information, please visit www.nasdaq.com/solutions/sustainability-reporting and www.nasdaq.com/solutions/esg-products.