For a bright future: ESG activities

Gold trading involves comprehensive responsibilities towards the environment, social aspects and good corporate governance (ESG). As the issuer of Xetra-Gold®, Deutsche Börse Commodities GmbH accepts this responsibility and is committed to sustainability in its own business activities and throughout the entire value chain.

The pot of gold is at the end of the rainbow, not the beginning 

… in other words: good planning is half the battle. Sustainability, with its various areas, is ubiquitous – there is no final state. Rather, it should be seen as a continuous improvement process, and a sustainability management system serves to manage, stabilise and develop these efforts.

Various workshops were held throughout the year to review by what degree stakeholder expectations had been met as well as to revise key (future) topics and the objectives and planned measures of Xetra-Gold. Developed as part of the sustainability reporting process in accordance with the German Sustainability Code (Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitskodex, DNK), these goals and measures serve as a baseline for strategic activities and effective engagement.

Area of activity: environment

Climate protection requires the global cooperation of politics, business and society. Deutsche Börse Commodities, as the issuer of Xetra-Gold, holds itself, its suppliers and service providers to high standards when it comes to environmental protection and the conservation of resources. Its focus is on fully offsetting CO2 emissions and operating with bars made from recycled gold whenever possible. Deutsche Börse Commodities expressly disapproves of the development of new mines.

Area of activity: social commitment

In an effort to prevent human rights violations along the supply chain, Deutsche Börse Commodities only holds gold bullions certified by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA). It has also issued a statement on modern slavery and human trafficking, made a voluntary commitment to the UN Global Compact and developed a code of conduct for suppliers. At the local level, Deutsche Börse Commodities supports the ARCHE Kinderstiftung Frankfurt and is committed to financial education.

Area of activity: corporate governance

The financial sector is a highly regulated environment in which Deutsche Börse Commodities complies with all laws and regulations, at all times. This is also reflected in its corporate culture, which is characterised by a lived mission statement and strict adherence to its code of conduct for business. With Xetra-Gold, Deutsche Börse Commodities stands for reliability and respectability when investing in gold. Our top priorities are customer confidence and the security of the deposited precious metal.

Speech is silver, silence is golden – but not for us!

Sustainability can only be achieved through collaboration; it requires the involvement of various partners and should be based on transparent communication. To ensure its messages get through to stakeholders, Deutsche Börse Commodities uses a variety of tools and channels. For Xetra-Gold customers, these include the Hotline  and website with a page dedicated to sustainability topics. News and information on the topic are also communicated via the News page of the website and the “Goldwissen” (gold knowledge) podcast (conducted in German), as well as this quarterly newsletter.
The status quo document provides a concise overview of Deutsche Börse Commodities’ commitment to sustainability (only available in German).

The golden rule: think ahead

The sustainability strategy is continuously discussed and revised through internal coordination and reporting processes. Structured annual plans provide a clear roadmap for the development of ESG activities going forward. In the future, Deutsche Börse Commodities will align with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) through the Voluntary EU Reporting Standard for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises – the Voluntary SME Standard (VSME). The cooperative approach for the inclusion of stakeholder interests constitutes an important component of the regulatory framework.

Sustainability is a two-way street – your opinion matters! Please take part in the Xetra-Gold survey (only available in German).