Zambia is entering an important transition phase in the adoption of sustainability reporting, including ongoing stakeholder engagements and readiness assessments to support alignment with the International Sustainability Standards Board (“ISSB”) Standards, such as IFRS S1 and IFRS S2. In parallel, Zambia’s national Green Taxonomy was officially launched in December 2025, establishing a common reference framework for sustainable economic activities. While these initiatives are still at an early stage of implementation, they lay the institutional foundation for closer alignment with international sustainability standards and signal a growing regulatory expectation around sustainability-related disclosures.
As a result, investors, regulators, and other market participants are beginning to face increased demands to build technical capacity, develop supporting systems, and prepare for effective and consistent implementation.
Despite this progress, recent researches highlight significant market challenges:
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Framework gaps: Zambia currently lacks a standardized sustainability reporting framework, complicating consistent data collection and disclosure.
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Capacity constraints: Both issuers and regulators have limited internal expertise, particularly in data management, risk assessment, and reporting processes.
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Weak climate risk practices: Organizations have yet to systematically integrate climate risk into governance, financing, and operational decision-making.
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High implementation costs: Technical tools and processes are insufficient, increasing the effort required to comply.
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Limited ESG Data Availability: Most organizations do not collect comprehensive data or reliable data on emissions and environmental impacts suitable for reporting.
With support from The ESG Exchange, this CASI Technical Assistance Programme is designed to contribute to ongoing efforts to address these challenges through a phased approach, providing practical and targeted support that may help build longer-term readiness across Zambia’s reporting ecosystem.
As an initial step, this TA webinar, intended to introduce key concepts and gather feedback from participants. The webinar is also intended as an open platform for knowledge sharing, bringing together a broad range of stakeholders, including regulators and supervisors, financial institutions and investors, as well as other relevant participants with a focus in Zambia and broader Africa.
Online Registration
Objectives for this Inaugural webinar:
· Strengthen Zambia’s capacity on sustainability disclosure by narrowing gaps in awareness andkills.
· Support stakeholders understand what reliable, decision-useful sustainability disclosures look like.
· Foster collaboration across the reporting ecosystem.
· Help Zambia to leverage opportunities in green and transition finance.
Co-Hosted by:
Capacity-building Alliance of Sustainable Investment (CASI)
Securities and Exchange Commission - SEC Zambia
Supported by:
The ESG Exchange
Agenda
March 19, Thursday (CAT, UTC+2)
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Master Moderator
Rep, CASI
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09:00-09:10
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Welcome Remarks
Dr. Ma Jun, Chairman of CASI
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09:10-09:25
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Presentation 1: Regulatory Expectations — ZICA Perspective
Explanation of sustainability disclosure requirements, supervisory priorities, timelines, and common compliance gaps. The session will highlight alignment with international standards and practical guidance for issuers.
Presenters:
Rep, ZICA
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09:25-09:40
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Presentation 2: Sustainability Reporting from Capital Markets
Perspective Insights on how reporting affects investor decision-making, listing requirements, disclosure quality, and market transparency. The session underscores the capital market’s role in promoting credible ESG reporting.
Presenters:
Rep, SEC
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09:40-09:55
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Presentation 3: Experiences and Lessons from other EMDEs
An overview of the ESG maturity of issuers and financial institutions, highlighting gaps in awareness, skills, and risk management. Practical challenges for compliance will be emphasized to ensure interventions are targeted and effective.
Presenters:
CHENG Lin, Director of Center for International Collaborations, IFS and Head of Secretariat, CASI
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9:55 – 10:10
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Presentation 4: Practical Sustainability Disclosure by a Leading Preparer
A presentation by a leading example showcasing its sustainability disclosure practices, including data collection and quality control processes, use of reporting standards, and approaches to external assurance.
Presenters:
Rep, AIIB/EBRD
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10:10 – 10:20
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Q&A
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10:20 – 11:30
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A Multi-Stakeholder Panel Discussion: Bridging Sustainability Capacity Gaps in Zambia
Against the backdrop of Zambia’s ongoing transition toward enhanced sustainability reporting—including early alignment efforts with international standards and the recent launch of the national Green Taxonomy—the panel brings together regulators, standard-setters, preparers, financial institutions, and professional bodies to examine how these frameworks translate into practice on the ground. While policy direction and global standards are increasingly clear, many market participants continue to face significant constraints related to internal capacity, data availability, governance structures, and implementation costs.
The discussion is designed as a multi-stakeholder dialogue, focusing on real operational challenges and institutional bottlenecks encountered by different actors across the reporting ecosystem. Panelists will reflect on their respective roles in supporting market readiness, including how organizations are building internal systems, integrating climate and transition risks into decision-making, and responding to growing supervisory and investor expectations.
Through an exchange of perspectives, the panel aims to identify priority capacity gaps, highlight emerging good practices, and explore practical approaches to phased and proportionate implementation. The session will also generate insights to inform the design of follow-up technical assistance activities under the CASI programme, with the broader objective of strengthening the quality, consistency, and decision-usefulness of sustainability disclosures in Zambia and across African markets.
Moderator: Rep, SEC
Panelists (recommended):
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Rep, ZICA
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Rep, ISSB
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Rep, CEC
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Rep, ZANACO Financial Institution
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Rep, EBRD
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Rep, The ESG Exchange
Q&A (10min)
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11:30-11:50
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Open Discussion / Q&A
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11:50-12:00
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· Closing Remarks & Next Steps
CHENG Lin, Director of Center for International Collaborations, IFS and Head of Secretariat, CASI
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