Azerbaijan has introduced a unified digital platform for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards, Report informs.
The platform's concept was presented during a meeting organized by the "Corporate Governance, Investments, and Corporate Social Responsibility" working group's "ESG Standards" subgroup, led by the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA) under the Ministry of Economy.
The event, held at the Baku SME House, brought together representatives from government agencies, local and international private companies, organizations, and other stakeholders.
Vusal Shikhaliyev, a sector head at the Economic Policy and Industrial Affairs Department of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration and head of the secretariat of the Commission on Business Environment and International Ratings of Azerbaijan, emphasized the importance of creating a unified digital platform for ESG.
He noted that the platform would play a crucial role in coordinating activities in the relevant field and managing informative resources on ESG.
Natig Hasanov, First Deputy Chairman of the KOBIA Board and the head of the ESG subgroup, highlighted that the ESG platform would positively contribute to environmental and sustainable development issues, as well as ecological performance indicators in international ratings.
Ulviyya Akbarova, Partnerships Officer at the UN Azerbaijan, presented the concept of the unified digital platform for ESG, while Boris Janjalia, an international ESG expert from the International Finance Corporation, shared insights on international best practices in the field.
The event also featured discussions on the implementation of the ESG digital platform, including the project execution format, expert suggestions, and participants' questions.
The meeting concluded with the approval of roadmaps and implementation projects for thematic areas related to ESG.