Satyendra Pathak
Doha
Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) is in discussion with the market regulatory body to make it mandatory for listed companies to publish their efforts in meeting international guidelines for environmental, social and governance (ESG), the exchange’s chief executive officer has said.
Talking to Qatar Tribune on the sidelines of MSCI Qatar ESG & Climate Change Forum in Doha, QSE CEO Rashid Bin Ali al Mansoori said, "We are working on it. After this conference we will share the international ESG guidelines and criteria with our listed companies. A lot of listed companies have already started working on it, but it is still optional. Our aim is to make it mandatory for all companies.”
With investors becoming less tolerant to ESG incidents, he said, it has become a must for listed companies to be environment friendly in their approach.
"The more they comply with ESG guidelines, the more investors they will get,” he said.
The forum, which served as the soft launch for the QSE Sustainability and ESG Dashboard, outlined QSE’s sustainability action plan to attract responsible investors, provide an overview of global investor assessment approaches to ESG.
The event continued to build upon QSE’s leadership efforts to promote sustainability, including the launch of the QSE Guidelines on ESG reporting in December of 2016.
The participants discussed various topics in relation with integration and implementation practices of ESG factors in an asset allocation framework and investment strategy.
They also discussed how investors approach ESG ratings, climate risks, board diversity and other key ESG considerations.
"QSE strongly supports the ambitions of reaching a well-informed investment environment and believe that by undertaking this engagement session, we will promote the sustainability agenda among our investors, listed companies and the business community within Qatar and thus contribute to the realisation of the human, economic, social and environmental pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030,” Mansoori said.
"Investors worldwide are increasingly incorporating sustainability factors into their investment decisions, and we are convinced that companies that effectively communicate their sustainability strategies will improve their capital raising abilities and have an overall competitive advantage”, he said.
The surge in global investor interest, combined with the opportunity for improved performance for companies and their investors, he said, were two key reasons why QSE joined the Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative (SSEI) in 2016.
"As part of the SSEI, QSE recently released its guidelines on ESG Reporting to encourage ESG reporting by QSE-listed companies,” he said.
Doha
Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) is in discussion with the market regulatory body to make it mandatory for listed companies to publish their efforts in meeting international guidelines for environmental, social and governance (ESG), the exchange’s chief executive officer has said.
Talking to Qatar Tribune on the sidelines of MSCI Qatar ESG & Climate Change Forum in Doha, QSE CEO Rashid Bin Ali al Mansoori said, "We are working on it. After this conference we will share the international ESG guidelines and criteria with our listed companies. A lot of listed companies have already started working on it, but it is still optional. Our aim is to make it mandatory for all companies.”
With investors becoming less tolerant to ESG incidents, he said, it has become a must for listed companies to be environment friendly in their approach.
"The more they comply with ESG guidelines, the more investors they will get,” he said.
The forum, which served as the soft launch for the QSE Sustainability and ESG Dashboard, outlined QSE’s sustainability action plan to attract responsible investors, provide an overview of global investor assessment approaches to ESG.
The event continued to build upon QSE’s leadership efforts to promote sustainability, including the launch of the QSE Guidelines on ESG reporting in December of 2016.
The participants discussed various topics in relation with integration and implementation practices of ESG factors in an asset allocation framework and investment strategy.
They also discussed how investors approach ESG ratings, climate risks, board diversity and other key ESG considerations.
"QSE strongly supports the ambitions of reaching a well-informed investment environment and believe that by undertaking this engagement session, we will promote the sustainability agenda among our investors, listed companies and the business community within Qatar and thus contribute to the realisation of the human, economic, social and environmental pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030,” Mansoori said.
"Investors worldwide are increasingly incorporating sustainability factors into their investment decisions, and we are convinced that companies that effectively communicate their sustainability strategies will improve their capital raising abilities and have an overall competitive advantage”, he said.
The surge in global investor interest, combined with the opportunity for improved performance for companies and their investors, he said, were two key reasons why QSE joined the Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative (SSEI) in 2016.
"As part of the SSEI, QSE recently released its guidelines on ESG Reporting to encourage ESG reporting by QSE-listed companies,” he said.