Do The Worldwide WALL STREET’s Have a Heart?

Well, the answer to the above question remains to be seen, with time.  For now, however, it does appear as though the Stock Exchanges from around the world do, as many are active members of the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative.  One of the world’s best sustainability ideas, as labeled by Forbes, this initiative aims to provide a forum wherein international regulators, exchanges and investors can openly deliberate on issues of sustainability.

Formed in 2009, the SSE Initiative is co-organized by four United Nations organizations: the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the UN Global Compact, the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative, and the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment.  According to a Reuters article, the SSE will be holding a Global Dialogue on Monday, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, prior to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), scheduled for June 20-22.

This is incredibly good news, and a great sign that these international powerhouses are actually taking sustainability seriously, going so far as to make it a priority.  The dialogue is reportedly focusing on the transparency of the industry, through official sustainability reports, among other topics.  Let’s hope that the movement not only continues, but that its thriving momentum carries forward to realizable changes in global corporate environments.