Euronext - 2020 Universal Registration Document

Euronext, a Sustainable Exchange

Value Creation by Euronext

LONG TERM VALUE FOR ALL OUR STAKEHOLDERS

Euronext ESG mission and ambition The world is facing significant challenges in ensuring a sustainable future for our people and our planet. Many national and international initiatives are addressing these challenges. Every organisation will have to play its own role in the transition to a sustainable society, depending on its impact and its opportunities. The finance sector can be an important contributor to the global sustainability agenda and can promote sustainable finance, by incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into investment decision-making, and by supporting the allocation of capital to sustainable initiatives. Euronext has a special position in the financial ecosystem. It serves the real economy by bringing together buyers and sellers in high integrity trading venues that are transparent, efficient and reliable. In this key role Euronext has a responsibility vis-à-vis the whole finance community to contribute to the financial stability and the sustainable agenda in the countries in which it operates (see Euronext’s value creation model on page 8). As a key market infrastructure, at the heart of the financial ecosystem, Euronext will support the acceleration of the transition towards sustainable growth and finance. In 2019, Euronext has decided to make sustainable finance a key pillar of its strategy “Lets’ grow together 2022” (see section 1.2 – Strategy: “Let’s Grow Together 2022” Strategic Plan) with a strong commitment to participate to the SDG’s (see below). The Euronext ESG ambition is to finance local and global real economy in its transition towards a sustainable society by: n driving investment in innovative, sustainable products and services through secure and transparent markets, in continuous collaboration with the financial community; n inspiring and promoting sustainable tangible practices within the Company and towards our communities, by respecting and developing our people and by supporting our ecosystem.

This dual ambition is fully aligned with the Action Plan on Financing Sustainable Growth launched by the European Commission and with the Green deal presented by the European Commission in December 2019. As part of the Green Deal on 14 January 2020, the European Commission presented the European green deal investment plan, which will mobilise at least €1 trillion of sustainable investments over the next decade. On 8 April 2020, the Commission launched a consultation on its sustainable finance strategy, to which Euronext responded. 2020 has been a special year due in particular to the health crisis but also because it has seen the so-called sustainable economy – taking better account of the ESG dimension – come out stronger. Euronext has also confirmed its desire to be a leader in sustainable finance in 2020, as can be seen from the content of this chapter. Stakeholder expectations and Materiality analysis As a first step towards the creation of a Euronext ESG strategy, at the beginning of 2019, Euronext launched, a pan-European stakeholder consultation process to identify the ESG related issues that its stakeholders believe should be its main areas of attention and effort. Euronext received the feedback from a wide selection of its stakeholders, especially investors, analysts and issuers, but also employees and regulators, providing valuable insights. On the basis of the results Euronext performed a materiality analysis, defining the key issues where Euronext can have the most impact on the economy, society and environment, and that most influence the decision-making of its stakeholders. Euronext’s stakeholders recognise that Euronext plays a role in ESG from different angles: Euronext as a representative of the capital market ecosystem, Euronext as a business providing relevant products and as a corporate actor. In each of these roles, Euronext has different responsibilities. Based on the feedback received from the stakeholders Euronext has identified 11 key issues, that were grouped into five material impact areas, consistent with the Euronext dual ESG ambition.

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2020 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT