Middle East Sustainable Investment Forum (MESIF) Launch
Event Round Table
March 16, 2017
The Middle East Sustainable Investment Forum (MESIF) was
launched today at the Qatar Stock Exchange, with the goal of
driving the responsible investing movement in Qatar and across
the Middle East.
Responsible investing takes into account environmental, social
and governance risks and opportunities that can affect a
company’s financial performance.
The meeting convened an influential group of leading banks,
investment firms, and QSE-listed companies to explore the
business case for ESG investing and to set a course of action
for the SIF.
QSE’s role as lead sponsor of Middle East SIF and host of this
inaugural meeting, builds upon these recent QSE efforts. CEO of
QSE Mr. Rashid Bin Ali Al Mansouri stated: "Qatar Stock Exchange
strongly supports the ambitions of the Middle East SIF and
believe that by joining this forum, we will be better equipped
to promote the sustainability agenda among our investors, listed
companies and the business community within the State of Qatar
and thus contribute to the realization of the National Vision.”
“Investors worldwide are increasingly incorporating
sustainability factors into their investment decisions, and we
are convinced that companies that effectively communicate their
sustainability strategies will improve their capital raising
abilities and have an overall competitive advantage”, Mr.
Al-Mansoori added.
The Middle East SIF is initiated by Sustainability Excellence, a
leading driver of sustainability management in the Arab region.
CEO Darin Rovere said “We are delighted to launch the Middle
East Sustainable Investment Forum. The Forum will support the
growing interest in ESG among regional investors while alerting
international investors to the ESG investment opportunity in the
region. It will help embed sustainability into local markets and
strengthen regional competitiveness.” There are more than 20
SIFs around the world that have played important roles in
creating awareness of the key role of investors in driving
sustainability practices through investment decisions.
Houssam Lahrech, Head of ESG Invest, the independent ESG ratings
division of Sustainability Excellence, added “Investors
worldwide increasingly recognize the positive relationship
between sound environmental, social and governance performance,
and a company’s financial performance. Responsible investing
offers opportunities for long-term value creation for both
investors and society as a whole.”
The surge in global investor interest, combined with the
opportunity for improved performance for companies and their
investors, were two key reasons why QSE joined the Sustainable
Stock Exchange Initiative (SSEI) in 2016. As part of the SSEI,
QSE recently released its Guidelines on ESG Reporting to
encourage ESG reporting by QSE-listed companies.
Mr. Hussain Al Abdulla, Director of Marketing and Communication
at QSE, added “We believe that encouraging our listed companies
to adopt ESG management and reporting will enhance their
performance. We then want to ensure that investors reward that
performance. The Middle East SIF will help attract foreign ESG
investors while encouraging ESG investing by local investors.”
Globally, the leading advocate of ESG investing is the United
Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). Graeme
Griffiths, Global Network and Outreach Director for UNPRI and
Adrian Bertrand, Head of Africa and Middle East of UNPRI also
presented at today’s meeting and demonstrated how strongly ESG
considerations are being factored and how extensively ESG-minded
investing is moving into mainstream investment analysis.
The six Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) are a
voluntary and aspirational set of investment principles that
offer a menu of possible actions for incorporating ESG issues
into investment practice.
The Principles were developed by investors, for investors. In
implementing them, signatories contribute to developing a more
sustainable global financial system. They have more than 1,700
signatories, from over 50 countries, representing US$62
trillion.
Today’s meeting of the SIF was the first of a series of
quarterly national roundtables and a regional annual forum.
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