The Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) will launch an updated version of its Environment, Social and Governance (ESG)/Sustainability Disclosure guidelines soon.
Speaking recently at an ESG roundtable, acting CEO, Kopano Bolokwe, said the guidance has been developed in partnership with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and is structured around recent developments in global disclosure standards.
These include GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards, European Sustainability Reporting Standards, and IFRS S1 Sustainability Disclosure Standards, amongst others. He said in developing the guidance, the BSE wanted interoperability between these standards to prevent the need for double reporting and support a more user-friendly reporting system that does not have undue complexity.
Bolokwe said by developing clear, robust, and progressive standards for disclosure, application, and implementation of ESG policies, stock exchanges can provide the transparency investors need to match their investment goals with ESG opportunities and drive the flow of capital into sustainable investments.
The BSE first issued its voluntary guidelines for ESG reporting in 2018 and has taken the lead in driving more sustainable financing activities in the local economy through initiatives such as a 25% discount for green listings. Last year, the local bourse also created a Sustainable Bonds Segment and introduced listing requirements for Green, Social, Sustainability, and Sustainability-Linked Bonds.
