In December 2023, the Net-Zero Data Public Utility (NZDPU) launched its Proof of Concept for the development of a centralized, global, open climate data repository as recommended by the Climate Data Steering Committee. In order to understand the needs and challenges of Japanese financial institutions and issuers in this space, Japan Exchange Group, Inc. (JPX) and the NZDPU are hosting a series of roundtable discussions beginning today, March 15th, and continuing through to fall.
Climate transition-related data is required to make accurate, informed decisions in the net zero transition - from corporate transition planning, to public policy development, to assessing the carbon footprint and associated climate risk of specific investments. Building on the important work of the many initiatives helping to drive the availability and quality of private sector climate data operating across jurisdictions around the world, the NZDPU aims to centralize and increase the transparency of climate transition-related data, make it freely accessible to all stakeholders, and help ensure better data is available to meaningfully integrate climate transition-related data into their decision making.
JPX is encouraging its listed companies to implement sustainable practices and information disclosure, as well as constructive dialogue with investors and other stakeholders; it considers improving accessibility to climate and other sustainability-related information one of the crucial issues within this. JPX is facilitating this roundtable series as an opportunity to reflect the opinions of Japanese financial institutions and issuers into the discussion on global data platform development.
The roundtables, also observed by the Japan Financial Services Agency, bring together financial institutions and listed companies to discuss the main issues and trends around climate-related information disclosure practices and usage in Japan.
Given the growing importance of better disclosure of and access to climate-related information, the discussion at these roundtables will aim to contribute not just to global platform development, but also to improving the quality and quantity and the usage of this information in the Japanese market.
About the NZDPU and Climate Data Steering Committee
The mission of the NZDPU is to provide a central source of company-level climate transition-related data that is transparent and openly accessible to all. The NZDPU was formed at the recommendation of the Climate Data Steering Committee (CDSC) established by French President Emmanuel Macron and United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions Michael R. Bloomberg in June 2022.
In addition, the Climate Data Steering Committee is conducting an open public consultation until April 1st to inform the further development of the NZDPU repository based on feedback from issuers, investors, and other stakeholders from around the globe.
Chaired by Mary Schapiro, the CDSC brings together regulators, policymakers, and standards setters, informed by data providers and civil society organizations, to help address climate data challenges across the global economy. In 2022, it recommended the development of a unified, global, open climate data repository: the NZDPU. The NZDPU is designed to be integrated with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Global Climate Action Portal.
