Euronext Sustainability Week is a cornerstone event in sustainable finance, offering a dynamic platform for dialogue and education.
From 9 to 13 September 2024, this week-long event brought together a diverse collection of stakeholders, including ESG experts, issuers, investors, governmental delegates, and representatives from financial institutions. Through virtual workshops, webinars, and in-person sessions, over 3,200 participants engaged in meaningful discussions on topics such as sustainable investing, ESG reporting, and green finance. The event not only fostered debate, but also facilitated direct interactions between companies and investors, creating a catalyst for the creation of sustainable growth and environmentally responsible investment. Camille Leca, Head of ESG at Euronext, comments on the importance of this initiative, highlighting the 2024 Sustainability Week as a key milestone due to the consolidation of its rapid expansion with a broader selection of events, opportunities and initiatives launched at Group level.
Thanks to our central role in capital markets, Euronext Sustainability Week brought together a diverse range of critical market participants to foster meaningful dialogue, navigate the complexities of sustainability in the financial sector, and accelerate the transition towards sustainable finance
Camille Leca, Head of ESG, Euronext
Euronext Sustainability Week originates from the Italian Sustainability Week launched in 2017 by Borsa Italiana, Italy’s main stock exchange and part of the Euronext Group. It expanded in 2023 to encompass all Euronext locations across Europe. The event has grown substantially, with this year’s edition featuring 190 speakers across 40 sessions, both internal and external, attended by over 3,200 participants. Spanning five days across ten European cities, it attracted more than 150 investors and corporate participants, highlighting Euronext’s increasing role in advancing sustainable finance.
Patrizia Celia, Head of Large Caps, Investment Vehicles and Sustainable Finance in Milan, was the original driving force behind the sustainability week. Patrizia shares her insights on its origins and rapid expansion, revealing that initial plans to create a sustainable initiative began in 2015, when some larger listed companies and international investors started taking an interest in sustainable finance.
Year after year, we adapted our formula and contents to meet our clients’ needs. The involvement of international experts in the first editions was crucial to create awareness.
Patrizia Celia, Head of Large Caps, Euronext
Who is it for?
Euronext Sustainability Week offers many opportunities for a diverse range of participants. Financial professionals, listed companies, and energy market stakeholders can all benefit from the event’s comprehensive agenda. Mathieu Caron, Head of Primary Markets and Managing Board Member at Euronext, shares insights into how these events support listed companies in ESG-related topics. Mathieu stresses the importance of educating issuers on the strategic relevance of ESG for investors, stating that “providing issuers with the full range of ESG financing instruments, corporate services and investments tools to answer market participants needs is now paramount for the growth of our markets”.
An in-depth analysis of the latest developments in regulation and the implementation of CSRD for large corporations and listed SMEs will help to provide a full comprehension of the state of the art, concrete tools available to our listed companies for the improvement of their ESG journeys.
Mathieu Caron, Head of Primary Markets, Euronext
For the financial community, sessions on ESG investing, sustainable growth, and compliance provide valuable insights into the latest trends and regulatory requirements. Listed companies can gain exclusive insights from industry leaders and learn best practices for ESG reporting and corporate governance.
Overall, Euronext Sustainability Week is an invaluable platform for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of sustainable finance and drive positive change within their organisations.
Fostering sustainable finance
Euronext Sustainability Week is testament to Euronext’s steady commitment to fostering sustainable finance and innovation. By bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders, this event not only highlights the importance of ESG principles but also provides actionable insights and tools to drive meaningful change. As we look towards a future where sustainable practices are integral to financial growth, Euronext continues to lead the way, ensuring that capital markets are equipped to support and accelerate this transition.
Practising what we preach
As an official partner of the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative (SSE Initiative), as well as the UN Global Compact, Euronext has fully embraced its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles within its operations. Euronext has set ambitious science-based environmental targets to reduce its carbon footprint, embrace renewable energy sources and adopt sustainable practices in its offices worldwide. Robin Jezek, Group Head of Regulation and Government Affairs highlights recent and upcoming European ESG events such as the recently signed Green Deal mandate set by EU policymakers to achieve globally agreed climate goals, the formation of a new European Commission under President Von der Leyen, and the forthcoming New Clean Industrial Deal. Robin stresses the crucial role Euronext plays in shaping the discussions needed to drive the profound economic transformation across sectors and establish a cohesive financial regulatory framework to support this transition.
Euronext Sustainability Week plays a critical role in facilitating essential conversations among stakeholders, helping to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape and drive progress toward our sustainability goals.
Robin Jezek, Group Head of Regulation and Government Affairs, Euronext
As a result, this year, Euronext has launched several new initiatives to further improve its regulatory ESG solutions. Just a few of the new initiatives have been outlined below:
MY ESG profile benchmarking tool
Following the success of My ESG Profile launched in 2023, Euronext has introduced a new benchmarking tool. This feature allows companies to compare their ESG performance against industry standards and competitors, offering crucial insights for enhancing sustainability practices.
With nearly 1,900 ESG profiles available, Euronext was the first stock exchange to standardise and publish individual non-financial data for its issuers. The new benchmarking tool reinforces Euronext’s commitment to helping businesses achieve their ESG goals and promote transparency.
Euronext Sustainable Network
Euronext has launched the Euronext Sustainable Network to foster collaboration among key European players in sustainable finance, including investment firms, banks, lawyers, and data providers.
This network aims to promote the best ESG practices, support Euronext’s 1,900 European issuers and 6,000 international investors, and drive innovation in ESG. It will also align efforts across stakeholders and educate members on ESG topics, regulations, and trends, leveraging collective expertise to advance sustainable finance.
Euronext Academy ESG coaching
Euronext Academy launches the Academy Coaching service to assist Corporate Sustainability Officers and C-suite executives in navigating EU regulations and global ESG standards.
This expert coaching helps leaders fulfil legal requirements, adopt best practices, and integrate ESG strategies into long-term plans. Sessions conducted in partnership with international practitioners and ESG experts guide clients through the complexities of ESG and sustainable finance.
To discover all of Euronext’s brand new ESG announcements please visit ESG | Empowering Sustainable Growth.
You can explore all available replays of the digital sessions from Euronext Sustainability Week in the dedicated page.
