The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU's financial markets regulator and supervisor, has today published its first Climate Transition Plan, an important milestone in aligning ESMA's operations with the European Union's climate objectives.

Under this plan, and in line with the Paris Agreement, ESMA commits to reduce its gross greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15.4% in 2027 and by 31.4% in 2030, compared to 2023.

Through the implementation of the Climate Transition Plan, the official press release highlights, ESMA aims to reduce the carbon footprint of its operations, in particular in relation to staff business travel, energy use and food consumption.

In the short term, progress towards this goal will be achieved through:

• the introduction of an annual greenhouse gas budget to manage emissions from air travel,
• optimizing floor occupancy during certain periods of the year to reduce energy consumption,
• the implementation of incentives for carbon reduction practices in the purchase of goods and services.

This first plan was made with the data currently available. It will be regularly reviewed, adapted and improved.

As for the next steps, ESMA will implement the decarbonisation levers and measures identified in this Climate Transition Plan and will report annually on the progress made, through the Annual Report and the Environmental Statement.