30 founding members from asset management, banking and brokerage, market making, exchanges, technology and service providers
Mobilising the trading industry to drive positive ESG change by developing industry best practices, benchmarking and transparency
Launching today, the Sustainable Trading membership network is dedicated to transforming environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices within the financial markets trading industry. Led by industry veteran, Duncan Higgins, the network will bring firms together to devise practical solutions to industry specific ESG issues and develop a mechanism for self-assessment and benchmarking.
Sustainable Trading members will consider the environmental impact of how the financial trading industry builds, maintains, and operates trading infrastructure along with a focus on areas such as diversity, equity and inclusion, employee wellbeing, engagement with communities and a stakeholder-oriented approach to enterprise governance.
Membership of Sustainable Trading is open to participants within financial services engaged in trading or providing trading-related services. Drawn from across the industry, the founding members include: Aegon Asset Management, AllianceBernstein, ArchES, AXA Investment Managers, Bank of America, big xyt, BMLL Technologies, BMO Capital Markets, BTIG, Credit Suisse, Equinix, Euronext, Federated Hermes, Instinet, Invesco, Investec, Jefferies, Liberum, Liontrust, London Stock Exchange Group, M&G plc, Neovest, Ninety One, Options Technology, Outset Global, Redburn, Russell Investments, State Street Global Advisors, T. Rowe Price and Union Investment.
Commenting on the launch, Founder and Director Duncan Higgins said: “The financial system has tremendous capabilities to lead its own transition to a more sustainable future. Sustainable Trading will mobilise members around a practical approach to setting and achieving their ESG goals and establish grassroots champions of change”. He continued: “Working together we can create a robust, sustainable industry for the future; one where the principles of good environmental, social and governance practices are woven throughout our daily lives.”
To find out more about Sustainable Trading membership, please visit our website.
Notes to Editors – Supporting Member Quotes
Kirstie MacGillivray, Head of Multi Asset Dealing and Treasury, Aegon Asset Management: “Aegon Asset Management are excited to be a founding member of this initiative. Being a force for good is at the heart of our business; the collaborative approach of Sustainable Trading will deliver a powerful force for sustainable change in financial markets trading, benefitting all participants.”
Emma Quinn & Frank Loughlin, Global Co-Heads of Equity Trading, AllianceBernstein: “We are proud to have AB support Sustainable Trading as a founding member and we’re excited to pursue the important work of bringing ESG and sustainability further into the trade execution ecosystem.”
Yannig Loyer, Global Head of Trading, Securities Financing and Derivatives, AXA: “As a responsible investor, we are committed to work collectively for a sustainable future. We are proud to be one of the 30 members of the recently launched Sustainable Trading network dedicated to driving ESG change across financial markets.”
Nick Druett, Head EMEA Electronic Execution, Bank of America: “Bank of America is delighted to become a founding member of the Sustainable trading initiative. We strongly believe that in partnership with our clients and peers we can make a positive impact on ESG related issues in global trading alongside our broader corporate objectives in this critically important area.”
Robin Mess, CEO & Co-founder, big xyt: “We’re delighted to be a founding member of the Sustainable Trading initiative and look forward to collaborating with its members. Data analytics and the infrastructure required to support it is a huge challenge for everyone in the financial markets trading community. At big xyt, we are continually striving for more sustainable cloud hosting solutions to reduce our clients’ carbon footprint, along with our own. As one of the key goals of this initiative, we believe we can support other firms to do the same, as we move towards a more sustainable trading future.”
Paul Humphrey, CEO, BMLL Technologies: “Getting involved with the Sustainable Trading initiative from the start has been a strategic decision for us. ESG is at the forefront of our minds, not only in terms of the environmental aspect of BMLL’s operations, where our products are built for sustainability from the outset, but also in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion. Diversity of thought and skills is key to our growth and recruitment drive. We welcome the efforts of the Sustainable Trading initiative as well as Duncan’s leadership in this. We are determined to play our part in shaping how we respond to the ESG challenges we face as an industry.”
Jonathan Hackett, Head of Sustainable Finance, BMO Capital Markets: “As part of our Purpose to Boldly Grow the Good, in business and life, BMO is committed to being its clients’ lead partner in their transition to a net-zero world. Joining the Sustainable Trading Membership group aligns strongly with our Climate Ambition, enabling us to join with our peers to identify opportunities and create best practices for impactful change and a more sustainable future within the financial markets industry.”
Christopher Rollins, CEO, BTIG LTD: “BTIG is excited to be a founding member of the Sustainable Trading initiative. We look forward to working with our peers to identify ways to introduce and strengthen ESG initiatives in the financial services ecosystem. Our collective effort should yield more impactful results than any of us would be able to achieve working independently.”
Eleni Coldrey, Business Development Director, Equinix: “Equinix is pleased to join Sustainable Trading as a founding member. Sustainability is increasingly a critical factor in our customers’ digital transformation projects, and the sustainable expansion and operation of digital infrastructure is a key focus for us too as digitisation and climate protection go hand-in-hand. Equinix has a long history of hosting the financial markets trading community in key financial centres around the globe, and we are committed to supporting the industry as it faces the challenge of reducing its environmental impact. Equinix has taken a leading role within the data centre industry’s efforts to enhance sustainable digitisation, and has set itself numerous goals in this area including its global science-based targets, committing to reach climate-neutral by 2030.”
Clarissa De Giorgio, Sales Manager, Euronext: “Getting involved with the Sustainable Trading initiative from the start has been a strategic decision for Euronext, as ESG is at the forefront of our Growth for Impact 2024 strategy. We are proud to become a founding member of the Sustainable Trading network as it will give us the opportunity to work in collaboration with the entire industry. At the same time, we will be contributing to the mobilisation of the ecosystem to drive positive ESG change by developing best practices, benchmarking, and transparency.”
Dan Nicholls, Head of Trading, International Business of Federated Hermes: “Trading is a critical activity for any investment firm and must employ the highest ESG standards. This includes a need for transparent governance as well as ensuring that staff are recruited from a diverse pool of skills, experiences and social backgrounds. We look forward to working alongside the Sustainability Trading network to develop and uphold these standards and drive best practice.”
Clive Murray, Head of Equities, Investec: “We’re delighted to be a founding member of Sustainable Trading. Joining the network furthers our commitment to ESG and playing our part to drive positive change across the industry. We look forward to working with our peers towards a sustainable future.”
Claire Dorrian, Head of Sustainable Finance Capital Markets, LSEG: “LSEG is delighted to become a founding member of Sustainable Trading, an important initiative to drive industry-wide engagement on the transition to net zero. We look forward to working together with the other founding members to lead the acceleration of sustainable investment across the financial markets”.
Jimmi Shah, CEO, Neovest: “ESG has been part of the investment process for clients for a number of years, seeing this become an increasing focus for trading desks is welcome for technology providers such as us. We look forward to being part of Sustainable Trading, by contributing and learning in equal measure.”
Cathy Gibson, Global Head of Trading, Ninety One: “The shift by the investment management industry to incorporate ESG considerations has accelerated exponentially in the past decade. However, to make impactful and equitable changes in ESG it will take collaboration from across the entire industry. The Sustainable Trading membership network brings together a diverse group of highly motivated firms that will drive industry led solutions in sustainable trading.”
Raymond McCabe & Adam Bandeen, Partners, Outset Global: “We are excited at Outset Global to be part of such an important industry initiative to bring ESG guidelines and structure to the Trading function. We are optimistic of the group’s ability to make a difference given the initial support and feedback we have had from a number of our partners globally.”
Michael Seigne, Head of Execution Services, Redburn: “Redburn are excited to be a founding member of the Sustainable Trading network. We have been an advocate from the very start and believe that ESG is a critical space for the future. Whilst we continue to work on our own initiatives in this area we believe that working together across the whole trading ecosystem is one of the most effective ways to drive faster and more impactful change.”
Jeremy Ellis, Head of European Equity Trading, T. Rowe Price: “ESG is an important focus for our clients and our organization which is why we are proud to be founding members of this Sustainable Trading initiative. As we consider the environmental impacts of Trading operations and our shared belief in putting DE&I efforts at the forefront of industry thinking; it is key that we come together to establish industry best practices and highlight how changes we make collectively and individually will make a difference now and in the future.”
Christoph Hock, Head of Multi-Asset Trading, Union Investment: “We are delighted to be a founder member of the Sustainable Trading network, and to be part of a driving force for ESG change within and across the global trading community. As a thought leader in an ever-changing market landscape, we are already focused on the sustainability of internal operations and external supply chains. As an active participant in the cross-industry Sustainable Trading initiative, we hope to accelerate the pace of ESG change for the benefit of the wider trading community and influence ESG best practices for the benefit of all financial market participants.”
Media Contacts:
Alice Ellman-Brown
The Realization Group
T: +44 (0)7365 224 804
E: alice.ellman-brown@therealizationgroup.com
Melanie Budden
The Realization Group
T: +44 (0)7974 937 970
E: melanie.budden@therealizationgroup.com
About Sustainable Trading
Sustainable Trading is an inclusive membership network driving positive change on environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices within the financial markets trading industry. By fostering collaboration and harnessing industry expertise, we are mobilising the industry around a practical approach to ESG. We will proactively facilitate the creation of a roadmap for long lasting change that delivers shared goals, shared opportunities and shared values.