Green Beans: SGX wants companies to account for sustainability

All listed companies in Singapore must now produce a guide on their green and good works, as well as their hard numbers.

Singapore Exchange introduced a Sustainability Reporting Guide for its listed companies. This follows a public consultation, issued in August 2010 that received widespread attention and positive feedback in support of disclosure and accountability for operating and developing businesses in a sustainable manner.

It has long been recognised that the way businesses operate can have long terms effects on the
environment and society. More recently concerns about climate change, biodiversity, social and
environmental risks have been heightened by crises and natural disasters.

Within the Guide, the Policy Statement sets out the principles and the Questions and Answers guide listed companies in extending their reporting beyond financial governance to sustainability aspects. A more holistic reporting will be achieved, with companies reporting their financials as well as the environmental and social risks, and strengths as relevant.

“The Sustainability Reporting Guide is the first step for listed companies who are new to sustainability reporting. A few are already practising and reporting fully on sustainability matters. Among them are even award-winners because they see the need to adopt such reporting.

With time, more SGX companies will join the ranks of these with international acclaim,” said Mr Magnus Böcker, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Exchange.

The Policy Statement and Sustainability Reporting Guide are applicable to Mainboard and Catalist
companies listed on SGX. Both Policy Statement and the Guide are available on www.sgx.com under “Rule Books”.