HCM City (VNA) – The Sustainability ReportingStandards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) debuted in Vietnam on June13, aiming to help make the stock market “green”.
The event to introduce the GRI standards washeld by the HCM Stock Exchange (HOSE), the GRI and the Vietnam Chamber ofCommerce and Industry.
Nguyen The Tuan, deputy head of HOSE’s researchand development division, said sustainability reporting is an effective tool tomeasure, recognise and publicise enterprises’ sustainable development targets.Through the reports, companies can enhance their prestige and gain investors’trust, helping to “green” the capital market.
Despite global popularity, sustainabilityreporting is relatively new among Vietnamese firms, he added.
Director of Services at GRI AsthildurHjaltadottir said the GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards, the latestversion and also the highest international standards of sustainabilityreporting issued by the Global Sustainability Standards Board, have beenintroduced in many countries.
The use of these standards will help address thefact that Vietnamese businesses are still producing sustainability reports inan inconsistent manner, she said.
She added the GRI translated the standards intoVietnamese and is popularising them to local enteprises.
The Vietnamese version of the GRISustainability Reporting Standards is available on the GRI’s website. A versionfor small- and medium-sized enterprises will be introduced by the end of thisyear.
In an effort to promote a green capital market, HOSEwill debut the VN Sustainability Index (VNSI) this July to evaluate thesustainability performance of companies listed on the Vietnam’s stock market.
Businesses with the highest scores inenvironmental, social and governance-related performance will be listed onVNSI.-VNA