Under the MoU, Safa will be appointed as Bahrain Bourse’s strategic sustainability partner and will support the exchange by implementing tailored carbon offset programs for its corporate travel and operational emissions. These measures will actively reduce and neutralize Bahrain Bourse’s environmental impact, support accurate environmental reporting and contribute to the exchange’s long-term climate responsibility roadmap.
Shaikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, CEO of Bahrain Bourse commented: “This collaboration with Safa marks a key milestone in our net zero journey and environmental commitment. As we enhance our ESG reporting and disclosures, this initiative reflects our proactive commitment to manage and neutralize our own emissions, particularly in light of mandatory ESG reporting across listed companies.”
“This collaboration demonstrates Bahrain Bourse’s proactive environmental leadership following its voluntary commitment towards the Net Zero Financial Service Providers Alliance, reflecting its broader mission to promote Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards across the capital markets, aligning with the Kingdom of Bahrain’s “Bahrain Blueprint" national action plan, which aims for carbon neutrality through a low-carbon economy, climate change adaptation, and sustainable opportunities in the new green economy,” Shaikh Khalifa added.
Mashael Fairooz, Chairwoman of Safa’s Board, commented: “We’re proud to support Bahrain Bourse in taking this first strategic step on its climate journey. As a key financial institution in the region, its leadership can influence broader awareness and adoption of sustainable practices across the capital markets.”
“Through this partnership we are enabling Bahrain Bourse to take tangible climate action by embedding carbon offsetting into its operational model, aligning with international best practices and national climate goals. This collaboration marks a significant milestone not only for Bahrain Bourse but also for Safa’s broader mission to accelerate climate accountability across sectors. We look forward to expanding similar partnerships with other institutions across the region, helping to build a resilient, low-carbon economy through scalable, data-driven climate solutions.”
This initiative reflects a growing recognition of the role that financial markets play in supporting environmental progress. As ESG expectations increase globally, exchanges and listed entities alike are adopting meaningful strategies to embed sustainability into their operations. The collaboration between Safa and Bahrain Bourse reinforces Bahrain’s national vision for a low-carbon economy and highlights the power of private-sector leadership in supporting the Kingdom’s Net Zero 2060.
Bahrain Bourse announced its voluntary commitment towards the Net Zero Financial Service Providers Alliance in 2024. Since 2019, Bahrain Bourse has been a voluntary signatory to the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative, demonstrating its proactive engagement in promoting sustainable practices within capital markets. In June 2020, Bahrain Bourse took a pioneering step by issuing its ESG Voluntary Reporting Guideline for listed companies. This guideline serves as a benchmark for listed companies to enhance transparency and accountability regarding their ESG performance. In January 2023, the GCC Exchanges Committee - GCC General Secretariat has also published a unified set of ESG Disclosure Metrics to align reporting across all GCC exchanges and enhance transparency within capital markets, which included 29 ESG reporting metrics. In November 2023, the Central Bank of Bahrain issued the ‘ESG Requirement Module’ under the Common Volume of the CBB Rulebook which will be applicable on all listed companies as well as targeted CBB licensees for the reporting period ending December 2024.