The 25th ESG Investment Frontier Forum Concluded Successfully

On May 24, 2024, the 25th ESG Investment Frontier Forum was successfully held in Shenzhen, with the theme "ESG information disclosure and rating improvement".

This year marks the 20th anniversary since the concept of ESG was first clearly introduced in the United Nations Global Compact. In China, ESG development has entered a fast track. For enterprises, ESG helps mitigate risks, optimize assets, increase brand influence, and enhance corporate valuation. For financial institutions, ESG serves as an investment tool that combines value creation with risk avoidance. Nowadays, government agencies, stock exchanges, investors, and customers have increasingly clear ESG requirements for companies and financial institutions.

The forum featured keynote presentations, panel discussions, and closed-door workshops to explore and share cutting-edge trends in ESG investment and disclosure, as well as the stories behind the ESG reports of leading listed companies.

Keynote Speech 1:

Xuexin Liu, Director of the China ESG Research Institute at Capital University of Economics and Business, introduced the latest global developments in ESG investment, ESG information disclosure, and ESG policies and standards, and provided suggestions for the future development of ESG in China.

Keynote Speech 2:

Di Tang, Senior Policy Analyst at PRI, provided a brief introduction to PRI, shared insights on the trends and policies of sustainable information disclosure, and offered PRI’s expectations for investors and sustainable investment from PRI’s perspective.

Keynote Speech 3:

Jin Yu, Cofounder of SusallWave Sustainable Digital Technology (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd. proposed from a corporate perspective that integrating ESG data mining, data analysis, public opinion monitoring, and industry benchmarking can greatly improve the efficiency and quality of corporate information disclosure. She emphasized the importance of using digital intelligence to support high-quality corporate development.

Keynote Speech 4:

Xuan Wang, Head of ESG and Sustainable Development at Lenovo Group and Secretary-General of the ESG Committee at Lenovo China Platform, shared the positive impact of sustainable information disclosure on corporate development, focusing on Lenovo’s ESG and social value and their information disclosure system.

Keynote Speech 5:

Yueying Dong , Assistant Investment Manager of the Overseas Investment Department at Bosera Funds, shared her observations on ESG development trends and Bosera Funds’ practical achievements since 2008, presenting a comprehensive "Bosera Solution" covering organizational structure, investment system, fund products, responsible management, information disclosure, and industry promotion.

The milestone policy "Guidelines for Sustainable Development Reports of Listed Companies" implemented on May 1, 2024, marks a new phase of accelerated development in ESG information disclosure in China. As an important indicator of corporate sustainable development, ESG related report disclosures are increasingly valued by listed companies. In recent years, driven by policies and regulations, the A-share ESG report disclosure rate has steadily increased, with ESG content focusing more deeply on "social," "environmental," and "corporate governance" aspects.

In roundtable discussion, ESG report leaders from seven leading listed companies were invited to share practical experiences and insights on ESG information disclosure and ratings enhancement. It featured seven guests from leading listed companies representing different industries, including machinery, information technology, automation, real estate, new consumption, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. During the roundtable discussion, participants engaged in lively discussions on topics such as:

a. The development process, features, and advantages of ESG management practices and information disclosure within their companies.

b. How to identify substantial ESG issues based on industry/business characteristics and stakeholder expectations, and the practical tools and methods adopted.

c. Perspectives on the complex landscape of domestic and international ESG ratings and experiences in improving company ESG ratings.

d. Case studies on ESG challenges and solutions in international operations and business expansion.