The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has long been recognised for its pioneering role in promoting strong governance and sustainability disclosure globally, through such initiatives as its progressive listings requirements incorporating the King Codes, its 2004 SRI Index (the first such “ESG” index owned by an exchange and the first of its kind in emerging markets), and its activities as a founding partner of the Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative, a signatory to the UN-backed PRI, the co-chair of the Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance, and a member of the World Federation of Exchanges’ (WFE) Sustainability Working Group. It was also one of the first emerging market exchanges to create a segment for green, social and sustainability bonds and also offers derivative contracts off its FTSE/JSE Responsible Investment Index.
The JSE Sustainability Disclosure Guidance is aligned with, and draws on, the most influential global initiatives on sustainability and climate change disclosure – including the GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards, the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations, and the IIRC’s International <IR> Framework – as well as an extensive range of other frameworks and standards, and the Sustainability/ESG guidance of various peer exchanges. This Disclosure Guidance is not intended to replace any of these global initiatives but rather seeks to help companies navigate the landscape of reporting standards, and to provide explicitly for the South African context.
While intended primarily to assist JSE-listed companies, this guidance will also be of value to institutional investors and the different entities that they invest in (including non-listed companies and debt issuers), as well as a range of stakeholder groups interested in sustainability/ESG disclosure and performance.
Download a copy of the Guidance at https://www.jse.co.za/our-business/jses-sustainability-and-climate-change-disclosure-guidance