In today's globalized world money travels quickly from one continent to the next. On the trading floors of stock exchanges around the world, stock brokers buy and sell stocks, quickly making decisions that collectively drive the foundation of the global financial system.

But what if the definition of value for stock exchanges and stock brokers moved beyond traditional financial benefit? Would the collective of individual decisions made on the trading floor generate a more sustainable outcome?

There are signs that stock exchanges around the world are beginning to shift their operating model to include sustainability concerns. The number of stock exchanges around the world offering corporate sustainability education courses, sustainability indexes and minimum sustainability disclosure requirements for listed companies is growing, and institutional investors are working to standardize sustainability reporting across stock exchanges.

Leading the charge in this space is the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative (SSEI), a peer to peer learning platform that is exploring how exchanges, investors, regulators and companies can enhance transparency and reporting on sustainability issues and ultimately encourage sustainable investment.In 2012, Ceres' Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR) played a pivotal role in encouraging Nasdaq to join SSEI, which then made a formal commitment to encourage sustainable investment and improved sustainability disclosure and reporting standards for their listed companies. The New York Stock Exchange soon followed suit.

To learn more about the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative click here.