International ESG platform to be launched by NSE IFSC

On Friday, NSE IFSC Limited, a subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), announced the launch of an international sustainability platform, located in GIFT City, Gujarat, and is expected to be operational in the second half of this year.

In a statement, NSE IFSC said that it's a first-of-its-kind ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) platform in the country.

The platform would facilitate the listing and trading of several sustainability products which include voluntary carbon, green real estate investment trusts (REITs), green bonds, sustainable bonds, and green equity among others, and then channelise the flow of sustainable finance to India as well as other markets.

Since it is located in the GIFT City of Gujarat it shall facilitate international investors for participating in ESG transitions in India along with other markets.

NSE IFSC said that it is expected to be operational in the second half of 2022, subject to regulatory approvals.

Issuers who will be listed on this platform are expected to meet a minimum set of ESG standards. Also, they have to comply with the specific criteria by NSE IFSC for the sustainability products which they wish to list.

The platform is expecting a range of corporate bodies, with large corporates, small, and medium enterprises, startups, nonprofits and social impact organisations, and government and quasi-government organisations for leveraging and attracting capital for the achievement of their climate and ESG goals.

The sustainability platform will utilise Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) or Blockchain ensuring speed, traceability, integrity, and tracking of transactions.

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