The World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) has issued guidance on implementing policies designed to encourage sustainability, the London, U.K.-based trade group for securities exchanges announced on Wednesday.

The guidance, which is voluntary, sets out environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics that exchanges can incorporate into the disclosure guidance that they provide to the companies listed on their markets. It focuses on 34 key performance indicators, including energy consumption, water management, CEO pay ratio, gender diversity, human rights, child and forced labour, temporary worker rate, corruption and anti-bribery, and tax transparency, among other corporate policies.

The guidance also offers advice on how to roll-out enhanced sustainability disclosure. The WFE says that adopting the guidance will help exchanges that are signed up to the UN’s Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative meet their commitments under that agreement.

The WFE stresses that exchanges have a role to play in ensuring transparent and resilient markets, and in encouraging corporate sustainability. “Exchanges operate orderly markets, seek to foster investor trust and invest in promoting good corporate governance standards. As an industry, exchanges are seeking to connect the dots for investors, companies, regulators and the wider community,” said Nandini Sukumar, CEO of the group.

“The guidance provides exchanges which want it with practical advice on how to take their sustainability policies to the next level and will help them meet the international sustainability benchmarks to which they are committed,” she added.

Separately, Nasdaq also announced that its Nordic exchanges in Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Reykjavik, Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius have joined the UN’s SSE initiative, which is designed to encourage sustainable investments and enhance corporate transparency.

“Nasdaq has always been a believer in the virtues of sustainability” said Magnus Billing, president of Nasdaq Nordic. “As a sustainable exchange operator, we continuously encourage and support the environmental, societal and governance performance of our listed companies. We are proud of our collaboration with the SSE initiative, and we look forward to continue our efforts in this field.”