The Hong Kong stock exchange (HKEx) is strengthening its environmental, social and governance reporting guidelines for listed companies in a bid to beef up corporate governance in the financial centre. The new requirements were a result of a consultation paper published in July 2015 to seek comments on proposed amendments to the Environmental, Social and Governance Reporting Guide (ESG Guide) and related Rules, the exchange said in a statement on Monday.
The latest move by the exchange, whose listed unit is the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd, comes amid a growing global trend among investors towards incorporating social and environmental factors into investment decisions.