Publications & Documents

This report provides a detailed account of the Swedish corporate bond market. Based on original data, it offers an overview of how the market has developed in the past two decades with respect to, among other things, size, issuer characteristics, risk profile and liquidity. In particular, it documents how the market has changed since the 2008 financial crisis and explores the increasingly important role of real estate companies in the local bond market. It also offers a comparison of the Swedish market with selected peer countries (European and non-European), both in terms of market structure and relevant regulation.

This guidance sets out elements of credible corporate climate transition plans, which aim to align with the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement. Such plans are needed to address the growing risk of greenwashing in transition finance and facilitate a global, whole-of-economy climate transition. Based on extensive stakeholder consultations, including an industry survey, the guidance provides market actors, policy makers, and regulators with a comprehensive overview of existing transition finance approaches, identifying the main challenges and solutions. The guidance is relevant to: (i) policy-makers and regulators seeking to develop or revise relevant policy frameworks or regulations; (ii) corporates developing transition plans and seeking to identify the most salient elements of existing initiatives; and (iii) financial market participants planning to provide finance for the implementation of net-zero strategies. The guidance emphasises greater transparency, comparability and granularity in corporate transition plans, and the need for adequate environmental and social safeguards. In light of challenges for some corporates, especially in emerging markets and developing economies, and the risk of excluding key actors from transition finance, the guidance highlights the need for policy-makers to take stronger action to bolster domestic enabling environments for transformative investments.

As part of a global effort to address existing barriers to gender equality in leadership and employment, countries around the world are taking steps to enhance gender diversity on boards, which can also have positive effects on board dynamics and governance. This paper takes stock of progress and existing policies and practices to enhance gender diversity on boards and in senior management of listed companies. Covering 50 jurisdictions, it focuses on the implications of quotas and targets as the main instruments used to foster gender diversity on boards, and considers the importance of complementary initiatives to strengthen the pipeline for leadership positions.

As part of a global effort to address existing barriers to gender equality in leadership and employment, countries around the world are taking steps to enhance gender diversity on boards, which can also have positive effects on board dynamics and governance. This paper takes stock of progress and existing policies and practices to enhance gender diversity on boards and in senior management of listed companies. Covering 50 jurisdictions, it focuses on the implications of quotas and targets as the main instruments used to foster gender diversity on boards, and considers the importance of complementary initiatives to strengthen the pipeline for leadership positions.

This working paper documents the trends in the ownership structures of listed companies around the world and the rise in ownership concentration. It identifies three major trends in corporate ownership: the dominance of company group structures, in particular in a number of emerging markets; the growth of state ownership through various state controlled investors; and the re concentration of ownership in the hands of large institutional investors, in particular investors that follow passive index investment strategies. The paper also discusses the implications for corporate governance of corporate ownership by private companies, states and institutional investors in global public equity markets.

This paper addresses the implications of digitalisation on corporate governance. It focuses in particular on the potential for digitalisation to improve market supervision and enforcement of corporate governance related requirements and the efficiency of disclosure; its use for remote and hybrid participation in general shareholder meetings; the implications of digital security risks and the role of the board in their management; and how digitalisation can encourage the development of primary public equity markets.

The sustained growth of institutional investors’ assets under management, together with the growing use of passive investment strategies, raises the question of whether existing frameworks adequately address issues related to investor engagement and disclosure. There has been a growth in the regulation of institutional investors and market intermediaries to address conflicts of interest and to enhance their transparency. In parallel, the adoption of stewardship codes and the number of signatories to such codes has been increasing. Their proliferation and to some extent convergence offers insights on recognised good practices. The paper also explores the apparent increase in engagement among institutional investors with respect to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, their increasing reliance on ESG ratings and data services, and whether regulatory frameworks or guidance should evolve to take into account these new developments.

This paper provides an overview of developments in non-financial corporate bond markets over the past two decades with respect to their size and credit quality, as well as trends related to insolvency and restructuring. It then explores the role of bondholders in corporate governance, both in normal times and in times of financial distress, and the governance implications of longstanding increases in bond financing by the non-financial sector. In particular, challenges related to bondholder rights, corporate disclosure, the responsibilities of corporate boards, institutional investors and insolvency are discussed.