Sustainability LIVE London: LSEG Tours Sustainability Trends

January 09, 2025

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Jane Goodland, Group Head of Sustainability at LSEG, delves into how the organisation integrates sustainability into its operations

Delivering an engaging keynote presentation at Sustainability LIVE London Global Summit 2024, Jane Goodland, Group Head of Sustainability at LSEG, highlighted key trends and practical insights on advancing sustainability.

Opening with a brief history, Jane highlights LSEG’s 300-year legacy, tracing its origins to Jonathan’s Coffee House in 1698.

Jane explains that while LSEG remains a crucial trading hub, it has grown into a global leader in financial data and market infrastructure. “We’re systemically important to the global economy,” she states, emphasising LSEG’s pivotal role in aiding the transition to sustainability.

With a customer base comprising governments, companies and financial institutions, LSEG acts as a bridge fostering sustainable policies, advocating for pragmatic regulations and driving impactful solutions.

Jane Goodland, Group Head of Sustainability at LSEG

Key trends shaping sustainable finance

1. Climate transition
The move to a low-carbon economy underpins much of LSEG’s sustainability agenda. Jane stresses the need for robust climate transition plans, stating, “it's only really when you start writing it down and working out what your organisation has to do in order to make that transition to a lower carbon footprint”.

LSEG exemplifies this approach with its climate transition plan, which received an impressive 98.9% shareholder approval in 2022.

Jane acknowledges the challenges but notes the value of transparency and continuous improvement.

2. Regulation and policy
Jane spotlights the proliferation of sustainability-related regulations worldwide, describing them as a “patchwork quilt” that challenges multinational businesses.

She advocates for harmonisation, such as adopting global standards like the ISSB framework, to enable comparability and efficiency in reporting.

She also notes LSEG’s work with governments and policymakers to promote interoperability between regimes, ensuring sustainability standards align globally.

3. Financing the transition
Capital markets play a vital role in driving sustainability and LSEG has been at the forefront of innovation.

Its Sustainable Bond Market, launched in 2019, has facilitated the raising of US$232bn by the end of 2022 for sustainable initiatives.

Jane also highlights LSEG’s Green Economy Mark, which identifies companies generating over 50% of revenue from green activities, creating visibility for investors and driving capital towards sustainable businesses.

Jane Goodland at Sustainability LIVE London 2024

The intersection of data, technology and strategy

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a data-driven discipline, and Jane notes its dual role as both an enabler and a challenge.

Accurate, comparable data informs decision-making and meets reporting requirements, but gaps remain.

AI and emerging technologies, while transformative, must be leveraged responsibly.

Jane underscores the importance of aligning corporate strategies with sustainability goals, stating, “Until an organisation has a proper conversation around the value creation at risk from sustainability in the context of corporate strategy”.

In closing, Jane encourages businesses to embed sustainability into corporate governance, financial planning and strategy execution.

Jane Goodland, Group Head of Sustainability at LSEG