China SIF Forum and Sustainable Stock Exchange Roundtable Highlight Global ESG Trends

Beijing, China, 3 December 2024. The 2024 Sustainable Stock Exchange Roundtable (SSER), held as part of the China Sustainable Investment Forum (China SIF), brought together global and regional leaders to advance Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices in alignment with international standards.

Organized in collaboration with SynTao Green Finance, IFC’s Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN), and other key partners, the event showcased the growing commitment of China’s financial sector to sustainable investment and reporting practices. The roundtable opened with remarks by Peiyuan Guo, Chairman of SynTao Green Finance, and Nan Li Collins, Senior Director, Division on Investment and Enterprise, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Chair of the UN Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative reflecting on two decades of ESG progress and the pressing need for capacity building to align local markets with global sustainability goals.

Key Highlights:

  • Global and Local ESG Trends: IFC’s Ralitza Germanova shared insights from IFC’s partnership with the UN SSE Initiative and ISSB, emphasizing collaboration on jurisdiction adoption support and global ESG alignment, as well as the importance of capacity building, regulatory support, and strategic initiatives like the Beyond the Balance Sheet program, IFC is fostering transparency, resilience, and alignment with global climate goals.
  • ISSB Standards: Dr. Leng Bing and Si Jiali from ISSB discussed efforts to support jurisdictions in adopting global standards.
  • CDP and IFRS S2 Alignment: Ling Zhu from CDP highlighted the alignment of the CDP questionnaire with IFRS S2, underscoring the importance of harmonized sustainability reporting practices.

The China SIF Forum, featuring a week of discussions and reflections, highlighted the importance of stakeholder collaboration to drive climate action and sustainable finance. The event reaffirmed China’s role as a key player in advancing global ESG standards and fostering innovation in sustainable finance.

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