The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan convened the first meeting of its Sustainable Finance Advisory Group for Capital Markets, positioning it as a high-level forum to advance sustainable finance reforms across Pakistan’s capital markets. The group focused on improving environmental, social and governance disclosure practices, expanding company participation in the SECP’s ESG Sustain Portal, and scaling capacity building to align reporting with international sustainability standards. Discussions included setting clear and achievable targets, addressing root causes of existing gaps, and establishing key performance indicators to track progress, alongside continued engagement with key stakeholders. Participants included representatives from the Pakistan Stock Exchange, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan, ACCA Pakistan, the Asian Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation, UN Women and the Pakistan Business Council, with members reaffirming their institutions’ roles in sustainability reforms and support for the forthcoming Women EquiSmart Policy and its action plan to mainstream gender-smart reforms across SECP-regulated sectors. The Advisory Group is expected to meet quarterly to review progress and co-develop solutions, and members referenced the phased application of international sustainability reporting standards scheduled to begin from July 2025.

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