The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the Exchange), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), today launched a revamped Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) webpage on the HKEX website to give listed issuers updated guidance on ESG reporting.

The revamp followed from the Exchange's announcement on 21 December 2015 that it had decided to strengthen the ESG Reporting Guide (the ESG Guide or Guide)¹ in its Listing Rules (Rules) after the completion of its ESG consultation launched in July 2015.  As previously announced, the amendments to the Guide and related Rules will come into effect in two phases:

• the Rule amendments and the upgrade of the General Disclosures in the Guide from recommended to "comply or explain", as well as the revised recommended disclosures, have come into effect for issuers' financial years commencing on or after 1 January 2016; and
   
• the upgrade of the Key Performance Indicators in the "Environmental" Subject Area of the Guide from recommended to "comply or explain" will come into effect for issuers' financial years commencing on or after 1 January 2017.

The revamped ESG webpage sets out practical steps, tools and reporting guidance aimed at helping issuers to start ESG reporting under the revised Guide.  The launch of the revamped ESG webpage will be followed by a series of 12 issuer training seminars on ESG reporting beginning on Monday, 7 March 2016.

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