Highlights include increased commitment to reducing GHG emissions and improving employee engagement. The company also achieved carbon neutrality for the fourth year in a row, achieving net-zero carbons for a fourth consecutive year. Nasdaq is committed to creating an environment that caters to all employees and fosters growth, creativity, and collaboration.

The business's 2021 Sustainability Report, which also examines Nasdaq's sustainability impact on the larger financial ecosystem and the communities it serves, shows how the company improved and carried out its sustainability plan amidst a global pandemic. The Task Force on Climate-Associated Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Report, which particularly addresses risks and opportunities related to climate change, was also released by Nasdaq along with the Sustainability Report.

The full report for this year intends to boost transparency on Nasdaq's ESG journey by highlighting its dedication to ongoing development of its procedures and reporting.

“We achieved carbon neutrality for the fourth year in a row. Our employees gave back to their communities through almost 1,300 service hours. And we were once again recognized for our efforts by numerous third-party validators, including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index, and the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index,”

said Nasdaq President and Chief Executive Officer Adena Friedman.

Nasdaq describes its efforts to innovate for environmental sustainability, advance governance excellence, and promote equitable growth and prosperity through a cogent narrative. The following are only a few of the highlights in these three categories:

Increased commitment to reducing GHG emissions:

Engaged a third party to verify Nasdaq’s 2019, 2020 and 2021 emissions

committed to establishing and publishing science-based targets for net-zero carbon

successfully achieved carbon neutrality for the fourth year in a row.

"Climate change poses fundamental concerns to society as well as industry,"

said Nasdaq Chief Financial Officer Ann Dennison.

"Nasdaq thinks that concerted worldwide action is necessary to restrict global warming to below the 1.5° target. Nasdaq's environmental strategies are designed to both minimise the environmental impact across our own organisation and operations and to continuously innovate in support of and alongside our clients and partners to develop market solutions to help them achieve their own ESG objectives,"

says the company. Increased accountability to workers: Nasdaq's Employee Action Networks should be supported and expanded going forward since they provide employees agency, foster professional growth through mentoring, promote local communities, and offer chances for internal and external advocacy.

established a yearly wage gap analysis, with relevant corrective measures to be taken.

All worldwide managers and the executive leadership team underwent

"Conscious Inclusion training to identify prejudices and carry out a useful strategy for embracing other ideas, beliefs, and behaviors."

Bryan Smith, Nasdaq's chief people officer, said,

"Guided by our purpose to advocate inclusive growth and prosperity, we are committed to establishing an environment that caters to all employees and fosters growth, creativity, and collaboration."

Transparency and advanced governance disclosures:

increased transparency regarding regulations, training courses, and other initiatives, such as the Nasdaq ethics and whistleblower programme

Updated TCFD advice, annualised ESG reporting, and commitment to new frameworks including the WEF Index

increased diversity on the board and in the board committees of Nasdaq

According to Nasdaq Chief Legal, Risk & Regulatory Officer John Zecca,

"We believe in principled, ethical, and proactive governance practices, transparent disclosures, and overall board effectiveness benefits, as it not only benefits our shareholders but also our employees, clients, and the communities around us."

In recent years, Nasdaq has concentrated on creating ESG solutions for the corporate and investor communities.

According to Heather Shand, Director of ESG Reporting at Nasdaq,

"Our reporting team utilised both our ESG Advisory Program and OneReport offerings—important components to successfully provide our reports to our stakeholders."

All stakeholders, from consumers to communities, will have improved transparency into a company's sustainability effect by creating a dedicated reporting team, identifying and forming relationships with internal key stakeholders and subject matter experts, and using that expertise to develop a report.

“Make no mistake: a more sustainable and equitable world is within our grasp. But seizing it will require a shift from commitment to action that prioritizes accountability and results,” said Friedman. “From its position at the intersection of capital markets and technology, Nasdaq is playing an important role in managing this shift for our clients, for investors, and for ourselves.”

Source: nasdaq news