Ringing in a Sustainable Tomorrow: Celebrating Nasdaq’s First Green Designations of 2022
In Q1 of 2022, Nasdaq welcomed four companies to its Nasdaq Green Designations program: Lamor Corporation, Godsinlösen Nordic, Rebelle and Nexam Chemical. Nasdaq’s European markets launched the program in 2021 to support listed companies looking to promote their green business models, further green transition and attract sustainable investment with transparency and visibility. Designed to provide robust and respected standards for investors looking to cut through the mire of complex ESG reporting, a Nasdaq Green Designation makes it easy for investors to find green companies.
Sustainable investment is on the rise. In 2015, sustainable funds garnered a mere $5 billion. Five years later, in 2020, investors put $51.1 billion toward them—an over 900% increase, according to MSCI reports. In 2021, that number more than doubled, reaching $120 billion, and future projections on ESG investment show no sign of slowing down. Recently, Blackrock’s head of iShares Americas told CNBC that ESG investment could reach $1 trillion by 2030.
For the investor looking to grow their portfolio and support a sustainable tomorrow, Nasdaq Green Designations makes it easy to find companies that match their vision. The designations have criteria that are broken out into two categories.
Nasdaq Green Equity Designation Companies Require:
- More than 50% of their revenue derived from business activities considered green
- More than 50% of their investments allocated to activities considered green
- Less than 5% of revenue derived from fossil fuel activities
Nasdaq Green Equity Transition Designation Companies Require:
- More than 50% of their investments allocated to activities considered green
- Less than 50% of their revenue derived from fossil fuel activities
Adam Kostyál, Head of European Listings at Nasdaq, recently sat down with trusted ESG expert Sasja Beslik to discuss Nasdaq Green Designations and the future of ESG investments in a Swedish interview moderated by Kajsa Söderberg.
Nasdaq Green Designations are already used by some big-name investment firms in Europe. In a recent TradeTalks interview, Fredrik Nyström, Head of Responsible Investments at Öhman Group, a Stockholm-based asset management firm that runs EUR 10 billion, highlighted the efficiency and ease he experiences with Nasdaq Green Designations, “A [market] standard makes our investment process easier, and it also makes our reporting to clients and stakeholders easier [because] we can point to a market standard.”
In celebration of our first four applicants paving the way for a greener tomorrow, Nasdaq is highlighting each of these companies:
Rebelle (BELLE)
Rebelle was Nasdaq’s first Green IPO as the first company to apply for a Nasdaq Green Designation while going public. The German company operates Rebelle.com, a marketplace for buying and selling luxury second-hand fashion accessories. With a collection of elite fashion brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Hermès and Prada, Rebelle improves circularity within the fashion industry while increasing customer awareness of sustainability.
“Today is a pivotal moment in the history of Rebelle, as we become a public company. Acting on a fast-growing market, driven by a necessary shift in consumer behaviors, Rebelle’s circular business model is a perfect fit to the global megatrend in fashion re-commerce. Moreover, the Green Equity Designation is an important validation of that,” said Cécile Wickmann, CCO and Founder of Rebelle.
Nexam Chemical (NEXAM)
Nexam Chemical is one of the first plastics and chemistry-focused companies to be awarded a Nasdaq Green Designation. The company develops solutions that enhance the properties and performance of many types of polymers. Part of their business model involves simplifying polymers to improve recycling, rebuilding deteriorated polymers to regain their performance and making them lightweight to do more with less.
“Nasdaq's certification shows that you can be a sustainable company even if you work in plastics and chemistry. For us, sustainability is not just about the benefits our products create but also how our business is conducted. Nasdaq’s Green Designation also provides security for both employees, customers and investors about the high level of our sustainability efforts,” said Johan Arvidsson, CEO at Nexam Chemical.
Lamor Corporation (LAMOR)
Lamor Corporation was the first company in Finland to receive the Nasdaq Green Designation. With a mission to clean the world, Lamor provides equipment and services to 104 countries, helping them with oil spill response, waste management and water treatment.
“Lamor has been a front-runner in many ways, receiving the first Nasdaq Green Equity Designation in Finland is just one example of our commitment to support transformation towards a zero-carbon society. We also expect the Nasdaq Green Equity Designation to increase our visibility among international impact investors,” said Mika Pirneskoski, CEO of Lamor.
Godsinlösen Nordic (GIAB)
Godsinlösen Nordic was one of the first companies in Sweden to receive a Nasdaq Green Designation. GIAB is an innovative growth company that helps businesses become more sustainable by reusing waste products in various business models. Their work is based on the concept of the circular economy, with expert knowledge on the reusage of products and returns logistics.
“Nasdaq’s Green Equity Designation creates transparency for our investors and stakeholders. Ninety-six percent of our sales are considered dark green and a necessary activity to reduce climate emissions. Through large-scale recycling, we contribute to reduced resource utilization, reducing our customers' climate emissions,” said Christian Jansson, CEO of GIAB Nordic AB.
Nasdaq Green Designations is just one of our many offerings aimed at increasing visibility for companies toward investors looking for sustainable investments. The designations join a growing list of ESG solutions, including the Nasdaq Sustainable Bond Network, which connects sustainable bond issuers with investors, the Nasdaq OneReport, a clear and efficient ESG reporting solution for companies looking to increase operational efficiency, decrease resource dependency and attract new customers and employees and Nasdaq’s Green Equity Indexes, a complete family of environmental indexes that track the growing clean energy sector.
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