ESMA Publishes Its Strategy on Sustainable Finance
ESMA published its strategy on sustainable finance. The strategy sets out how ESMA will place sustainability at the core of its activities by embedding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors in its work. The priorities for ESMA include transparency obligations, risk analysis on green bonds, ESG investing, convergence of national supervisory practices on ESG factors, taxonomy, and supervision. Annex to the strategy provides indicative timeline for actions on sustainable finance.
The key priorities for ESMA highlighted in the strategy include:
- Completing the regulatory framework on transparency obligations via the Disclosures Regulation, under which ESMA will work with EBA and EIOPA to produce joint technical standards
- Reporting on trends, risks, and vulnerabilities (TRV) of sustainable finance by including a dedicated chapter in its TRV report, including indicators related to green bonds, ESG investing, and emission-allowance trading
- Using the data at its disposal to analyze financial risks from climate change, including potentially climate-related stress testing in different market segments
- Pursuing convergence of national supervisory practices on ESG factors, with a focus on mitigating the risk of greenwashing, preventing mis-selling practices, and fostering transparency and reliability in the reporting of non-financial information
- Participating in EU Platform on Sustainable Finance that will develop and maintain the EU taxonomy and monitor capital flows to sustainable finance
- Ensuring ESG guidelines are adhered to in the entities that ESMA supervises directly, while being ready to accept any new supervisory mandates related to sustainable finance
To help deliver its strategy, ESMA had set up a Coordination Network on Sustainability in 2019. The network is composed of experts from national competent authorities and ESMA staff. It will be supported by a consultative working group of stakeholders, which is expected to be established in the coming months.
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Keywords: Europe, EU, Banking, Securities, Sustainable Finance, ESG, Taxonomy, Climate Change Risks, Stress Testing, Supervisory Convergence, Disclosures, ESMA
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