New WFE Guide helps issuers access transition finance

 

 

PRESS RELEASE 

New WFE Guide helps issuers access transition finance  

 

London, 26 February 2026 - The World Federation of Exchanges (“WFE”), the global industry group for exchanges and CCPs, has published a Guide with practical direction for issuers on how to maximise their access to transition finance. 

In 2024, global climate finance is estimated to have exceeded $2 tr,¹ though this constitutes a mere fraction of the investment needed to align global economies with net-zero pathways.² As net-zero deadlines approach and decarbonisation urgency intensifies, a growing share of sustainable capital is expected to be directed towards transition finance, presenting a huge opportunity for businesses. 

The new WFE Guide, Accessing Transition Finance: A Practical Guide for Issuers, highlights the significant and rapidly expanding opportunities for businesses, including those in hard-to-abate industries and fast-growing, energy-intensive digital sectors, to secure funding that supports their transition towards Net Zero and broader sustainability goals. It outlines the different forms of transition finance that are available and emerging, provides insights on which forms of financing may be most appropriate for different types of business, and provides guidance on how businesses can maximise their eligibility for each type of financing.  

The most significant vehicles for transition finance are currently centred around debt offerings, though there is an expectation that, just as with green finance, transition-related equity offerings such as designations will start to emerge. 

To maximise their access to new and growing streams of transition finance, organisations must: 

• Build a credible, strategic transition plan; 

• Futureproof their approach using key global standards and initiatives; 

• Choose the right transition-finance instrument for their business, taking into account the key considerations listed in the Guide; and 

• Carefully consider evidence and assurance. 

Taking these steps will position businesses to capture primary and secondary-market demand for transition-positive investments, diversify their investor base, and enhance long-term resilience. 

Nandini Sukumar, CEO of the World Federation of Exchanges, said, “Only public markets can deliver the capital needed for transition finance to flourish because they have the requisite credibility, built on issuer disclosures and transactional transparency, to support robust, high-integrity markets. As clearer taxonomies and disclosure requirements evolve, the transition-finance market will become increasingly structured. Businesses that use this Guide to take early action will benefit from enhanced value creation and protection opportunities, and will set themselves up for resilient long-term growth.” 

The WFE will be hosting a webinar to introduce the Guide and present our key advice on 9 March 2026, where we will be joined by expert speakers including from Nasdaq and the UK Transition Finance Council.

Read the full paper here. 

 

For more information, please contact: 

Oonagh Shiel 
Communications Manager  
[email protected] 

About the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE):  

Established in 1961, the WFE is the global industry association for exchanges and clearing houses. Headquartered in London, it represents the providers of over 250 pieces of market infrastructure, including standalone CCPs that are not part of exchange groups. Of our members, 37% are in Asia Pacific, 43% in EMEA and 20% in the Americas region. The WFE’s 87 member CCPs and clearing services collectively ensure that risk takers post some USD 1.1 trillion (equivalent) of resources to back their positions, in the form of initial margin and default fund requirements. The exchanges covered by WFE data are home to over 49,054 listed companies, and the market capitalization of these entities is over USD116.58tr; around USD155tr in trading annually passes through WFE members (at end-2024). 

The WFE is the definitive source for exchange-traded statistics and publishes over 350 market data indicators. Its free statistics database stretches back 50 years and provides information and insight into developments on global exchanges. The WFE works with standard-setters, policy makers, regulators and government organisations around the world to support and promote the development of fair, transparent, stable and efficient markets. The WFE shares regulatory authorities’ goals of ensuring the safety and soundness of the global financial system.  

With extensive experience of developing and enforcing high standards of conduct, the WFE and its members support an orderly, secure, fair and transparent environment for investors; for companies that raise capital; and for all who deal with financial risk. We seek outcomes that maximise the common good, consumer confidence and economic growth. And we engage with policymakers and regulators in an open, collaborative way, reflecting the central, public role that exchanges and CCPs play in a globally integrated financial system. If you have any further questions, or wish to follow-up on our contribution, the WFE remains at your disposal.³ 

 

Website: www.world-exchanges.org

Twitter: @TheWFE

[3] Our EU Transparency Register number is 973382524675-69

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