“Sustainability is not just about saving the planet; it’s about the long-term health of the business and the wider ecosystem,” Jean Philippe, board adviser at Ultima Markets, told FinanceMagnates.com. “True sustainability means living today without stealing from tomorrow.”
“Nobody Should Have to Pay for This Knowledge”
He argues that even a low-intensity market such as forex “has a role to play” and notes that crypto mining’s footprint already rivals that of “some small countries.” Although major CFD rivals issue ESG reports, Philippe believes the sector as a whole still lacks “anything comparable” to Ultima’s plan.
Sustainable business practices have become a mandatory topic of discussion across industries, including brokerages. Interestingly, Ultima Markets is trying to brand itself around sustainability.
Recently, the broker launched a Sustainability
Academy, which covers topics on climate risk, sustainable finance and
nature-based solutions. “Nobody should have to pay for this knowledge; it’s
basic literacy for anyone who trades, invests, or even just pays their bills,”
Philippe said.
The content is pitched at retail level:
“Climate change affects everyone, but the science behind it doesn’t need to be
daunting. Our role is to make it clear, relevant, and easy to grasp,” he added.
For the academy, Ultima Markets partnered with
university professors and scientists working in the climate space to prepare a
curated series of short video lessons. Another initiative of the broker towards
sustainability was to become a part of the United Nations Global Compact (UN
Global Compact).
Read more: Ultima Markets Becomes First CFD Broker in UN Global Compact
Philippe explained that the participation in UN
Global Compact is “a
clear signal that we take ESG seriously and gives us a
seat at the table with policymakers and industry peers”. Although the Compact sets
no mandatory KPIs, Ultima Markets will publish an annual progress report and
align itself with selected UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG
17—Partnerships for the Goals.
“We say what we do and do what we say. If we
promise twenty videos, we deliver twenty—no claims of half a billion followers
when we have five million,” he added, underscoring his anti-greenwash stance. “In
today’s environment, every little step we take for sustainability, is a step in
the right direction.
We’re proud to join the UN @globalcompact🌍 Hear from our Board Advisor on why this step matters and how we’re driving corporate sustainability forward.
Watch full video here: https://t.co/kG2nWHCy40#UNGlobalCompact #Sustainability #CorporateResponsibility pic.twitter.com/MWrtlWJV7K
— Ultima Markets (@UltimaMarkets) December 17, 2024
“Carbon Credit Is a Short-Term Fix to Long-Term Inaction”
Buying carbon credits has become a trend across industries. Although the forex and CFDs brokers have yet to make any carbon credit purchase or at least advertise it, it cannot be said that some players in the sector will not be interested in those controversial instruments in the future. However, Philippe looks to be against the optics of carbon credit purchases.
“Carbon credit is a short-term fix to long-term inaction… buying just to look good is part of the green-washing problem,” he added, confirming that: “Ultima Markets has no near-term plan to purchase offsets. Instead, it will define internal reduction targets and explore a blockchain-based registry to trade verified credits without burning more energy than we save.”
The keyword, sustainability, also appeared on the annual reports of the public-listed CFDs brokers. IG Group has held certified carbon-neutral status under the PAS 2060 standard since the 2020 financial year. Plus500 says its web-based model already keeps emissions low, yet it is reviewing recycling, waste and other projects and “examining potential avenues to reduce… greenhouse-gas emissions to net zero”, while planning fuller TCFD reporting.
CMC is another broker that introduced detailed climate-scenario analysis and is working towards science-based net-zero goals, using a “Net Zero 2050” pathway as its most ambitious benchmark in its latest TCFD report. Saxo Bank, whose multi-asset offering includes CFDs, now shows independent Sustainalytics ESG risk scores inside its trading platform.
Read more: Forex Brokers Embrace Sustainability amid $50 Trillion ESG Surge
However, none of these brokers have embraced
the sustainability in the same manner as Ultima Markets, which have taken a
step further to make its “governance sustainable.”
“We have not really seen anything comparable,” Phillipe added. “There is interest in the market, but nothing concrete has emerged yet. Our own work is still at an early stage, so the impact isn’t visible. We can’t claim big results so far, and we haven’t seen similar progress elsewhere either.”
“The Goal Is to Serve People Who Value This”
However, it can be questioned on how effective
is sustainability-focused branding towards the ultimate goal of a broker, which
is to push the trading volumes. Phillipe’s vision towards such a branding,
meanwhile, is not towards the entire trading community, but to strengthen the bottom-line
of the business.
“The goal is not to greenwash and push volumes; the goal is to serve people who value this, just like shoppers who will only buy organic cotton,” Philippe said. While some traders may ignore the theme, he expects a growing cohort will demand evidence that their broker “conducts business in the best sustainable way possible.”
However, education towards sustainability might have a background impact on trading activities. Philippe points out knock-on effects that traders often overlook: “Bankers will not lend 20 billion to build a plant in an area that will be flooded in 20 years”; and energy costs, regulation and technology shifts will “reshape which sectors thrive or fail”—knowledge retail traders need before backing mining or oil stocks.
“Sustainability is not just about saving the planet; it’s about the long-term health of the business and the wider ecosystem,” Jean Philippe, board adviser at Ultima Markets, told FinanceMagnates.com. “True sustainability means living today without stealing from tomorrow.”
“Nobody Should Have to Pay for This Knowledge”
He argues that even a low-intensity market such as forex “has a role to play” and notes that crypto mining’s footprint already rivals that of “some small countries.” Although major CFD rivals issue ESG reports, Philippe believes the sector as a whole still lacks “anything comparable” to Ultima’s plan.
Sustainable business practices have become a mandatory topic of discussion across industries, including brokerages. Interestingly, Ultima Markets is trying to brand itself around sustainability.
Recently, the broker launched a Sustainability
Academy, which covers topics on climate risk, sustainable finance and
nature-based solutions. “Nobody should have to pay for this knowledge; it’s
basic literacy for anyone who trades, invests, or even just pays their bills,”
Philippe said.
The content is pitched at retail level:
“Climate change affects everyone, but the science behind it doesn’t need to be
daunting. Our role is to make it clear, relevant, and easy to grasp,” he added.
For the academy, Ultima Markets partnered with
university professors and scientists working in the climate space to prepare a
curated series of short video lessons. Another initiative of the broker towards
sustainability was to become a part of the United Nations Global Compact (UN
Global Compact).
Read more: Ultima Markets Becomes First CFD Broker in UN Global Compact
Philippe explained that the participation in UN
Global Compact is “a
clear signal that we take ESG seriously and gives us a
seat at the table with policymakers and industry peers”. Although the Compact sets
no mandatory KPIs, Ultima Markets will publish an annual progress report and
align itself with selected UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG
17—Partnerships for the Goals.
“We say what we do and do what we say. If we
promise twenty videos, we deliver twenty—no claims of half a billion followers
when we have five million,” he added, underscoring his anti-greenwash stance. “In
today’s environment, every little step we take for sustainability, is a step in
the right direction.
We’re proud to join the UN @globalcompact🌍 Hear from our Board Advisor on why this step matters and how we’re driving corporate sustainability forward.
Watch full video here: https://t.co/kG2nWHCy40#UNGlobalCompact #Sustainability #CorporateResponsibility pic.twitter.com/MWrtlWJV7K
— Ultima Markets (@UltimaMarkets) December 17, 2024
“Carbon Credit Is a Short-Term Fix to Long-Term Inaction”
Buying carbon credits has become a trend across industries. Although the forex and CFDs brokers have yet to make any carbon credit purchase or at least advertise it, it cannot be said that some players in the sector will not be interested in those controversial instruments in the future. However, Philippe looks to be against the optics of carbon credit purchases.
“Carbon credit is a short-term fix to long-term inaction… buying just to look good is part of the green-washing problem,” he added, confirming that: “Ultima Markets has no near-term plan to purchase offsets. Instead, it will define internal reduction targets and explore a blockchain-based registry to trade verified credits without burning more energy than we save.”
The keyword, sustainability, also appeared on the annual reports of the public-listed CFDs brokers. IG Group has held certified carbon-neutral status under the PAS 2060 standard since the 2020 financial year. Plus500 says its web-based model already keeps emissions low, yet it is reviewing recycling, waste and other projects and “examining potential avenues to reduce… greenhouse-gas emissions to net zero”, while planning fuller TCFD reporting.
CMC is another broker that introduced detailed climate-scenario analysis and is working towards science-based net-zero goals, using a “Net Zero 2050” pathway as its most ambitious benchmark in its latest TCFD report. Saxo Bank, whose multi-asset offering includes CFDs, now shows independent Sustainalytics ESG risk scores inside its trading platform.
Read more: Forex Brokers Embrace Sustainability amid $50 Trillion ESG Surge
However, none of these brokers have embraced
the sustainability in the same manner as Ultima Markets, which have taken a
step further to make its “governance sustainable.”
“We have not really seen anything comparable,” Phillipe added. “There is interest in the market, but nothing concrete has emerged yet. Our own work is still at an early stage, so the impact isn’t visible. We can’t claim big results so far, and we haven’t seen similar progress elsewhere either.”
“The Goal Is to Serve People Who Value This”
However, it can be questioned on how effective
is sustainability-focused branding towards the ultimate goal of a broker, which
is to push the trading volumes. Phillipe’s vision towards such a branding,
meanwhile, is not towards the entire trading community, but to strengthen the bottom-line
of the business.
“The goal is not to greenwash and push volumes; the goal is to serve people who value this, just like shoppers who will only buy organic cotton,” Philippe said. While some traders may ignore the theme, he expects a growing cohort will demand evidence that their broker “conducts business in the best sustainable way possible.”
However, education towards sustainability might have a background impact on trading activities. Philippe points out knock-on effects that traders often overlook: “Bankers will not lend 20 billion to build a plant in an area that will be flooded in 20 years”; and energy costs, regulation and technology shifts will “reshape which sectors thrive or fail”—knowledge retail traders need before backing mining or oil stocks.
