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Taiwan Launches New ESG Dashboard, Partnering FTSE Russell, ISS ESG, MSCI and Sustainalytics

2020/08/27

IR

Taiwan Depository & Clearing Corporation (TDCC), the central securities depository of Taiwan, today launched a new solution, Taiwan ESG Dashboard, to help issuers and investors access ESG ratings of Taiwanese companies.

The Taiwan ESG Dashboard will enable domestic issuers to effectively manage their ESG ratings and empower local institutions to engage on ESG issues, by providing them a consolidated channel to access ratings from leading ESG rating providers. FTSE Russell, ISS ESG, MSCI and Sustainalytics have collaborated with TDCC on the project.

“ESG ratings reflect the diversified views of the community,” said Sherman Lin, Chairman and CEO of TDCC. “Issuers and investors can utilize ratings as benchmarks to comply with global standards and integrate ESG into their investment process.”

Helena Fung, Head of Sustainable Investment, Asia Pacific, FTSE Russell, said, “We are delighted to collaborate with TDCC on their new ESG initiative, a mark of our ongoing commitment to markets in Taiwan and across the Asia Pacific region. FTSE Russell’s ESG Ratings and data model provide globally recognised standards for market participants and companies to utilise as they incorporate sustainability approaches into their investment strategies.”

Since 2018, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has been the premier partner of TDCC annual conferences through its wholly owned subsidiary, ISS Corporate Solutions, which caters to companies across Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific regional more broadly. The relationship expanded in 2019 when TDCC and ISS entered into a partnership for vote delivery. Today’s announcement reflects a further expansion of this critical partnership to now encompass ISS ESG, the responsible investment arm of ISS.

“Events over recent months have made clear why ESG matters now more than ever for investors, their portfolio companies, and stakeholders broadly,” said Marija Kramer, Head of ISS ESG. “We are pleased to partner with the TDCC on this significant initiative in recognition of the importance and vibrancy of Taiwan’s capital markets.”

“ESG is increasingly being viewed by investors as a critical factor for building portfolios,” said Chitra Hepburn, Head of APAC ESG Client Coverage at MSCI. “We are delighted to collaborate with TDCC to provide institutional investors in Taiwan with MSCI’s ESG ratings, helping them to integrate ESG considerations throughout their investment process.”

Sustainalytics first began supporting TDCC with the provision of ESG research for its depository clients in 2019. “We congratulate Sherman and the team at TDCC on their thought leadership in bringing this innovative Investor Relations Platform solution to market,” said Jodie Tapscott, Director, Client Relations & Head of Asia Pacific ex Japan at Sustainalytics. “This ESG Dashboard will build positive momentum to improve corporate ESG disclosure and encourage further ESG integration in an institutional investment market rapidly adopting responsible investment principles.”

The Taiwan ESG Dashboard will be delivered on TDCC IR Platform, the flagship ESG initiative in Taiwan aiming to encourage sustainable investing and enhance companies’ performance on ESG issues.

About TDCC IR Platform

TDCC Investor Relations Platform (IR Platform), the flagship ESG initiative in Taiwan, aims to encourage sustainable investing and enhance companies’ performance on ESG issues. The platform seeks to achieve this goal through cooperating with leading research agencies, providing data-driven ESG solutions, and facilitating stakeholder dialogues. For more information, please visit https://irplatform.tdcc.com.tw/

About TDCC

Taiwan Depository and Clearing Corporation (TDCC) digitalized the capital market of Taiwan with its establishment as the central securities depository (CSD) in 1989. Today, TDCC leads Taiwan market with its innovative custody, securities settlement, and issuer services. TDCC’s shareholder voting solutions – STOCKVOTE and Cross-border Voting STP Mechanism – ensure correct execution of the vote and underpin corporate governance in Taiwan for more than a decade. For more information, please visit https://www.tdcc.com.tw/

Media Contact

Wallace Chu  +886 2 2514 1478  wallace.chu@tdcc.com.tw