On Thursday, May 29, 2025 | London, Global exchange leaders gathered virtually under the banner of the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) and Xpansiv for a timely conversation on the evolving role of exchanges in sustainable finance. The event, titled “Sustainability – New Trading, Data and Reporting Opportunities for Exchanges,” brought together top voices in commodities, markets infrastructure, and sustainability to explore how exchanges are adapting to the needs of a rapidly changing environmental finance landscape.
The one-hour open webinar, moderated by Victoria Powell, Senior Manager of Sustainability at the WFE, featured industry veterans including Russell Karas (Senior Vice President, Strategic Market Solutions, Xpansiv), Heather Pandich (Director of Energy Products, CME Group), Anelisa Matutu (Head of Commodities, Capital Markets, Johannesburg Stock Exchange), and Julie Brown (Director, Advisory Services, VCM SA).
Exchanges as Architects of Environmental Markets
With climate risks and sustainability mandates reshaping investment decisions, the panel made clear that exchanges are no longer passive facilitators of trades—they are emerging as architects of trusted, data-driven environmental markets.
Xpansiv’s Russell Karas highlighted the critical role of digital registries and audit-grade data in building market confidence. “If we want to scale environmental commodities, we need market infrastructure that ensures integrity and traceability,” he said.
Heather Pandich from CME Group noted that institutional demand for ESG-aligned products is driving innovation in the derivatives space. She cited recent product launches and underscored the balance required between regulatory clarity and product viability.
Data Integrity and Market Confidence
Julie Brown of VCM SA stressed that credible sustainability reporting hinges on high-quality data. “We are at a tipping point—without verified, transparent data, these markets can’t mature,” she said, calling for stronger industry-wide standards and frameworks.
Anelisa Matutu offered a perspective from the African continent, where the Johannesburg Stock Exchange is leading regional efforts to mainstream sustainable finance. She emphasized the importance of collaboration, education, and tailored local solutions to enable emerging markets to participate meaningfully in the global green economy.
Preparing for a Green Finance Future
The conversation also addressed the growing alignment between exchanges and carbon markets, and the need to ensure that emerging environmental products are both investable and scalable. Questions from the audience focused on taxonomy convergence, the potential of digital platforms, and how exchanges can better support corporate sustainability disclosures.
The panel concluded with a strong consensus: as the demand for climate-conscious investments rises, exchanges must deliver the infrastructure, standards, and partnerships that can scale the next generation of environmental assets.
Replay Available
The full session is available for replay through the WFE registration portal: Click here to access.
For more stories on sustainability, commodities markets, and exchange innovation, follow our Markets & ESG section.
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