The 17th International Conference on Sustainability Disclosure (Beijing) convened

Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien
 

She said that companies should not view sustainability disclosure as a means to realize compliance, but as a potential competitive edge. She hoped that everyone should be well prepared, adding that understanding and adopting of the ISSB Standards early is definitely one of the key steps and the ISSB Standards should be used as overall standards. She also stressed that the ISSB Beijing Office is working closely with other offices in the world to ensure that the Chinese voice is heard in the development of ISSB Standards and make these standards in line with the Chinese market.

Dai Yibo, Member of the IFRS Sustainability Standards Advisory Group and Vice President of GoldenBee Consulting, gave an in-depth interpretation of the background, main contents and specific application of the Guide on Application of ISSB Standards in China(the Guide) at the event.
 

Dai Yibo

She noted that the Guide is the first book in China that systematically interprets the ISSB Standards. Based on the disclosure requirements, the book elaborates on the background, basic requirements, governance, strategies, risk management, metrics and targets, disclosure recommendations of ISSB Standards. The book also provides explicit and actionable guidance for Chinese enterprises on how to understand and apply the ISSB Standards and thus is of guiding significance for listed companies in China to comprehend and implement ISSB Standards at a high level.

Rolf Dietmar, Expert of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), explained the main contents of the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and its implications on Chinese companies.
 

Rolf Dietmar

He said that it is crucial for Chinese companies entering the EU market to comply with European sustainability disclosure regulations. Otherwise, they are likely to lose market share or be excluded from the supply chain, while Chinese companies that prepare well in advance and follow these regulations will win more opportunities and be more likely to get the attention of European investors in the EU market.

Fredré Ferreira, Head of sustainability reporting governance and value chain of European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG), shared the EU sustainability disclosure conditions in the changing landscape, gave an introduction to the situation of sustainability reporting in Europe, and interpreted the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), CSRD and their important roles.
 

Fredré Ferreira

In particular, she mentioned that the CSRD aims to establish a second pillar of corporate reporting that is as important as financial reporting. She also suggested that Chinese companies should strive to follow these sustainability disclosure regulations to ensure their compliance and competitiveness in the EU market.

Pan Chunsheng, Member of the Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the China Association for Public Companies(CAPCO),  pointed out in his speech that in recent years, listed companies have been actively using domestic and international sustainability disclosure standards as a reference, keeping close eyes on ESG ratings and external performance, and showing increasing willingness to proactively disclose sustainability (ESG) information. In the future, CAPCO will continue to fulfill its fundamental missions of “providing services, reinforcing self-discipline, promoting standardization and making improvement”. We will continue to create platforms, gather resources, promote exchanges and build consensus, and further pool resources and collective wisdom through special training, surveys and researches, publicity and initiatives, so as to give a boost to the sustainable development of listed companies.
 

Pan ChunSheng

The Guidelines on Sustainability Report for Listed Companies (A-share Guidelines) is one of the most influential sustainability disclosure policies for Chinese companies, especially for listed companies.

Dong Deshang, Head of ESG Ratings of Wind ESG, shared his views on the topic of "Preparedness of Sustainability Disclosure from the Perspective of ESG Ratings".
 

Dong Desheng

He noted that after the correlation analysis of the preparedness of all A-share listed companies to disclose information and the results of Wind ESG ratings, the correlation coefficient reaches 0.77, presenting a high correlation. The data shows that the Wind ESG scores of A-share listed companies as a whole showed an upward trend before 2022, but have fallen since then, reflecting to a certain extent that there are still a large number of companies that still have reservations about ESG, and that the polarization between the two ends of the spectrum of ESG performance is intensifying.

Liu Huan, Deputy Director of the System Certification Division of China Quality Certification Center, elaborated on the high-quality implementation of Guidelines on Sustainability Report for Listed Companies from the perspective of ESG assurance.
 

Liu Huan

He said that ESG assurance is a process of independent third-party verification and validation of sustainability reports, ESG reports and other information issued by enterprises, with the aim of ensuring the authenticity, accuracy and completeness of the data and information, which is crucial for enterprises to enhance the credibility and transparency of their reports. With the continuous improvement of policies, the assurance of sustainability reports shows increasing compliance, transparency and standardization.

Chen Li, Vice President of Strategy and Investment of Beiqi Foton Motor, unveiled Foton’s ESG strategy at the conference.
 

As a spearhead of sustainable development in the domestic commercial vehicle industry, Beiqi Foton Motor adheres to the ESG strategic vision and mission of “a contributor to green energy transformation and a guardian of the Earth”. Its strategic goal is to “strengthen ESG leadership of the commercial vehicle industry”, which includes six major areas, including joint climate governance, all-win value chains, concerted efforts in products, common compliance, shared employee growth, and social sharing.

Ⅱ Focus丨Increasingly significant climate and biodiversity information disclosure 

Climate-related information disclosure plays a crucial role in sustainability disclosure.

Zhang Jiutian, Executive Director of Green Development Institute of Beijing Normal University, shared his views under the topic of "Climate Scenario Analysis in Sustainability Disclosure".
 

Zhang Jiutian

He said that current climate risks require a comprehensive and robust response from all parties. Enterprises are suggested to proactively identify major climate risks, select appropriate climate scenarios to simulate the future trends of climate risk, carry out climate risk assessments, formulate appropriate climate strategies for mitigating and avoiding climate risks, and conduct standardized and effective disclosure of climate risk information.

At the breakout session "Mainstreaming Biodiversity Disclosure", guest speakers agreed that the disclosure of biodiversity has become a trend, and that biodiversity disclosure represents an infinite business opportunity to win over investors. Companies should make preparations in advance, conduct analysis and practices and material assessment of biodiversity with other business departments, and strengthen biodiversity information disclosure.
 

In the breakout session “High-Quality Sustainable Development Driven by Sustainability Disclosure". Guest speakers shared their philosophies, standards, practices and experience in sustainability disclosure.
 

Ⅲ Release丨 GoldenBee Sustainability Report Honor Roll 2024

The continuous introduction of new regulations and requirements for sustainability disclosure has provided strong supports for high-quality sustainability disclosure by companies in China.
 

Guan Zhusun, Co-President of GoldenBee Consulting, introduced the latest trends of sustainable development in the world and in China, and released the 2024 GoldenBee Research on Cooperate Sustainability Disclosure Reporting in China.

According to the statistics, the number of corporate sustainability reports released has reached a record high, with a total of 3,447 sustainability reports of various types collected as of September 30, 2024, and 3,379 corporate reports have been assessed. Studies based on these reports found the latest features of corporate sustainability reports in China.
 

Subsequently, the conference officially released the GoldenBee Sustainability Report Honor Roll 2024. Among 3,379 assessed reports, 112 outstanding reports from 109 companies stood out, earning distinctions such as "GoldenBee Leading Enterprise," "GoldenBee Growing Enterprise," "Foreign-Invested and Hongkong, Macao Enterprise" "First Time Report Award," along with disclosures on responsibilities concerning employees, customers, community, suppliers information disclosure. They received honors for "Innovative Information Disclosure Award," "Specialized Reports Award," and the "Evergreen Award."

As one of the earliest professional initiatives in China focusing on sustainability disclosure within the realm of CSR and sustainable development, the "GoldenBee Sustainability Report Honor Roll" selection has assessed over 20,000 reports. A host of reports from outstanding companies made the list. It serves as a comprehensive platform showcasing outstanding sustainability reports and fostering professionalism among enterprises. It has significantly propelled the improvement in both the quantity and quality of sustainability reports in China.

Over the past 17 years, the conference has adhered to the principle of "Responsible Communication Creates Value," consistently releasing studies on Chinese CSR/sustainability reports. Emphasizing professionalism and internationality, it explores topics and trends related to social responsibility/sustainability reports in standards, compilation, management, and dissemination. Through firsthand experience and observation, it actively drives the enhancement of high-quality CSR/sustainability reports. It plays a pivotal role in assisting companies to elevate the quality and level of information disclosure, fostering transparency, and innovating in stakeholder communication.