The Taiwan Monthly

ESG

The Taiwan Stock Exchange held a Sustainable Development Committee and Chief Sustainability Officer Forum, continuing to deepen corporate sustainability governance

To promote the alignment of the local capital market with international ESG development trends, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (the TWSE) and the Taipei Exchange (the TPEx) continuously assist the TWSE- and the TPEx-listed companies in achieving sustainable development to achieve the goal of net-zero carbon reduction for enterprises. Since November 2024, The TWSE and the TPEx jointly held two sessions of the 'Sustainable Development Committee and Chief Sustainability Officer Forum,' with a total of 350 business corporate representatives in attendance. The forum concluded with enthusiastic feedback on December 4. 

Sherman Lin, Chairman of the TWSE, stated at the forum that the “Sustainable Development Action Plans for the TWSE- and the TPEx-Listed Companies” released by the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) in 2023 requires that each TWSE/TPEx-listed company establish a sustainable development committee (or a sustainability director). In March this year, the TWSE and the TPEx released a “Reference Example for the Organizational Regulations of the Sustainable Development Committee” to encourage the establishment of the functional committee, in order to assist the board of directors in strengthening sustainable governance and help improve corporate governance performance and implement sustainability actions through cross-departmental communication and coordination to integrate  resources. 

In the two forum sessions, representatives from four TWSE/TPEx-listed companies were invited to make keynote speeches. In the “Sustainable Development Committee Experience Sharing”  section, Bill Lin, Sustainable Development Committee Member of O-Bank, Chun-Wei Chang, Sustainable Development Committee Member and Executive Secretary of ECOVE, Hsing-Yi Chow, Sustainable Development Committee Member of Yuanta Financial Holdings, and Allen Chou, Chairman of Young Qin International, explained the practical operation of their functional committees which, based on sustainability issues related to their respective industries, continuously pay attention to ESG regulatory trends to cater to the sustainable management of the supply chain and create corporate value. 

In the “Experience Sharing with Chief Sustainability Officer” section, Ang-Ting Shih, Director ESG Office of TECO Electric & Machinery, Angela Chen, Chief Sustainability Officer of Standard Foods, and Hua-Ling Hsu, Chief Sustainability Officer of PLANET Technology Corporation were invited to share precious insights on sustainable governance and ESG promotion. Cross-departmental collaboration and incorporation of operational activities and decision-making processes are required to implement sustainability transformation, in order to work together for long-term development.

In addition, in compliance with the government’s promotion policy of making Taiwan the asset management center of Asia, the Taiwan Index Plus of the TWSE Group shared at the forum its newly planned IR Engage which provides the three core services of Financial Forecasts, ESG information value addition, and IR engagement. In her speech, Kuang-Chi Shang, Chief Secretary of the Securities and Futures Bureau, FSC, also expected that the IR Engage can promote communication and cooperation between TWSE/TPEx-listed companies (especially small and medium companies) and investors, especially in its assistance to companies on ESG issues to meet the needs of international investors, in order to continuously deepen sustainable development and enhance investor confidence.

The representative from the TPEx also shared at the forum the types, issuance processes, and advantages of Sustainability Bond which assist companies in raising funds from the capital market to achieve sustainability transformation. Sustainability Bond also provide investors with a clear pathway to support projects that have a positive impact on society and the environment, making them a win-win financial instrument that can meet the needs of both companies and investors.

 In summary, through practical exchanges and experience sharing at the forum, the organizers expect that enterprises will not only pursue financial performance, but also pay attention to the opportunities and challenges that ESG issues bring to their operational activities.  Hopefully, enterprises can continue maintaining their competitiveness and exert their influence in the development of green economy and sustainable supply chain, and deliver new green growth momentum to Taiwan. The TWSE and the TPEx will also continuously strive for the dual axial transformation of the capital market towards “Digital x Sustainable Twin Transformation,” and work hand in hand with enterprises for a better future!

 

For further information, please contact Ms.Chen at 1297@twse.com.tw.