Exchange in Focus: National Stock Exchange of Costa Rica Launch Sustainable Voluntary Guidance for issuers

20 December 2018

(December 2018) The National Stock Exchange of Costa Rica has created a Sustainable Voluntary Guidance to help issuers in preparing and disclosing information about the EGS criteria, in alignment with the SSE’s campaign to close the gap on ESG reporting guidance from stock exchanges. This Guidance includes information emphasizing the importance of revealing sustainability efforts and the role of issuers and other capital market stakeholders in the progress of sustainable development. It includes recommendations to create a sustainable report fulfilling critical areas such as environment, social and corporate governance. Moreover, the Guidance introduces a series of performance indicators that reveal which areas are needed to improve, in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). “Our stock exchange is very committed to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting responsible investment and sustainable finance through capital markets,” said José Rafael Brenes, CEO of the National Stock Exchange of Costa Rica. “Costa Rica Stock Exchange is the first exchange in Central America to have launched green bonds, Green Economy Principles and a Voluntary Guidance for issuers that set out recommendations about ESG reporting. We are working in attracting international responsible investors to Central America,” said Maria Brenes, Director of Development and Corporate Relations of the National Stock Exchange of Costa Rica. The Guidance will be promoted in the stock market during 2019 and can be found here.

About the SSE

​The SSE initiative is a UN Partnership Programme organised by UNCTAD, the UN Global Compact, UNEP FI and the PRI. The SSE’s mission is to provide a global platform for exploring how exchanges, in collaboration with investors, companies (issuers), regulators, policymakers and relevant international organizations, can enhance performance on ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) issues and encourage sustainable investment, including the financing of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The SSE seeks to achieve this mission through an integrated programme of conducting evidence-based policy analysis, facilitating a network and forum for multi-stakeholder consensus-building, and providing technical assistance and advisory services.