An Analysis of Sustainability Reporting Tools for a Resilient Tomorrow

Students from the University of St. Gallen and SIX have published a new white paper that focuses on how companies listed on SIX Swiss Exchange can be supported to meaningfully demonstrate their commitment to sustainable practices, but also to facilitate the comparison and evaluation of sustainability performance for all stakeholders, including investors, regulators, and the public.

An Analysis of Sustainability Reporting Tools for a Resilient Tomorrow
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Sustainability issues grow in urgency, and businesses are under greater pressure to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable practices.

However, the landscape of sustainability reporting presents significant challenges for listed companies. These include the lack of standardized frameworks, difficulties in collecting accurate and reliable data on the sustainability performance of companies across supply chains, changing regulations and standards related to sustainability, as well as a lack of skilled resources.

In recognition of the importance of advancing sustainability reporting to provide transparent information, SIX Swiss Exchange partnered with the University of St. Gallen and tasked a team of ten Business Innovation master's students with exploring the role of sustainability reporting, the challenges companies face, and the impact of various tools in improving reporting practices.

Charting the Landscape for Sustainability Reporting

Combining desk research and qualitative interviews with sustainability experts across various industries, the landscape of sustainability reporting is comprehensively charted in the new white paper, An Analysis of Sustainability Reporting Tools for a Resilient Tomorrow. Based on the findings, the white paper proposes tools for a structured approach to enhance transparency and comparability to other companies as well as investors.

Vera Güttinger, Head Issuer Relations, SIX Swiss Exchange, comments: “Evolving regulations and the proliferation of various reporting standards make it challenging for companies to meet compliance and stakeholder expectations. The new whitepaper offers valuable insights and practical tools to deal with the complexities of sustainability reporting.”

Ralf Rühling

Evolving regulations and the proliferation of various reporting standards make it challenging for companies to meet compliance and stakeholder expectations.

Vera Güttinger, Head of Issuer Relations, SIX Swiss Exchange

Close Collaboration with Academia

Dr. Maneesh Wadhwa, Senior Business Development Manager, Exchanges, SIX, adds: “Even though sustainability is becoming increasingly important, investors are often skeptical about the information companies disclose and their ability to implement their transition plans. In a project spanning several months, the students focused on sustainability reporting practices of various industries in order to develop actionable insights and recommendations for companies seeking to align with global sustainability goals.” The suggestions made in the white paper include a tool providing an overview of available tools as well as a chatbot and predesigned templates to help companies overcome these obstacles.

Ralf Rühling

Even though sustainability is becoming increasingly important, investors are often skeptical about the information companies disclose and their ability to implement their transition plans.

Dr. Maneesh Wadhwa, Senior Business Development Manager, Exchanges, SIX

Where Theory Meets Practice

Connecting theoretical knowledge and independent thinking with practical experience is crucial to finding pioneering solutions for tomorrow’s needs in the financial industry. The new white paper is the latest result in a growing line of collaborative efforts between universities and SIX Swiss Exchange, with the research cooperation with the University of St. Gallen being the longest-standing one. This partnership has already produced a variety of papers, including two publications focused on trading in closing auctions–analyzing both liquidity-related price sensitivities of closing auctions in equity markets and the effect of fragmentation on liquidity and price discovery – as well as a paper on the Future of SME Financing and reimagining capital markets.

Furthermore, two white papers were produced in collaboration with the Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI) on the topic of Voluntary Carbon Markets: 

Sustainability at SIX

As a key player in the financial markets, SIX supports the sustainable and responsible development of the financial industry. That’s why we have developed a strategy that puts sustainability at the heart of our business. It is based on a three-pillar model with areas where we can achieve the greatest possible impact for the economy, society, and the environment: as a Financial Market Infrastructure, as an ESG Product Provider and as a Good Corporate Citizen. Find out more.

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