Powering Green Capital: S&P and UN Partner to Reshape Energy Markets

NEW YORK and LONDON and SINGAPORE – April 21, 2026 – In a significant move to accelerate the global energy transition, S&P Global Energy and the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges (UN SSE) initiative have announced a major knowledge partnership. The collaboration aims to equip the world's capital markets with the critical data, analytics, and expertise needed to channel trillions of dollars into the clean energy economy.

The partnership brings together the formidable data infrastructure of S&P Global Energy, a leading provider of commodity pricing and market intelligence, with the vast network of the UN SSE, which includes over 138 stock exchanges representing a market capitalization of more than $120 trillion. By joining forces, they intend to standardize how emerging green commodities are understood, valued, and traded, thereby lowering barriers for investors and accelerating the flow of capital toward net-zero goals.

"Capital markets play an increasingly central role in financing the net-zero transition and exchanges and investors need reliable data and practical tools for products linked to renewables, low-carbon fuels, battery metals, and carbon instruments," said Leanne Todd, Head of Horizons, S&P Global Energy. "We welcome this opportunity to assist the UN SSE's global network and help accelerate the adoption of best practices, through global knowledge-sharing that supports carbon markets development and credible net-zero outcomes."

The Trillion-Dollar Challenge: Bridging the Green Financing Gap

The urgency behind this partnership is underscored by a colossal financing gap. While global investment in clean energy reached a record $2.1 trillion in 2024, experts estimate this figure is only a fraction of what is required. According to analysis from BloombergNEF, the world needs to invest an average of $5.6 trillion annually between 2025 and 2030 to remain on a path to net-zero emissions by mid-century.

This gap is particularly acute in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), which require an estimated $2.4 trillion in climate finance each year but receive only a small portion of it from international private sources. Key barriers have long included high perceived risk, a lack of standardized data, and the absence of mature, liquid markets for new green assets.

The S&P Global-UN SSE collaboration is designed to tackle these issues head-on. By providing robust data and building capacity within exchanges, the initiative seeks to de-risk investments and create the transparent market infrastructure necessary to attract private capital at scale.

"We are living through a period of profound transformation in global energy markets, and the role of capacity building and peer learning in navigating and accelerating this transition is critically important," stated Anthony Miller, Chief Coordinator, UN SSE. He noted the collaboration responds directly to demand from partner exchanges for "better access to data, deeper knowledge of emerging commodity markets, and more opportunities for peer learning so that market participants can play their part in supporting the shift to a net-zero emissions economy."

The Data Imperative for a New Commodities Frontier

At the heart of the initiative is the recognition that the energy transition is creating an entirely new class of commodities. Markets for hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), battery metals like lithium and cobalt, and various forms of carbon credits are rapidly evolving. However, for these markets to mature and attract institutional investment, they require the same level of price transparency and data integrity that underpins traditional commodity markets.

This is where S&P Global Energy's role becomes crucial. Leveraging its Platts division, renowned for its benchmark price assessments in oil and other commodities, the partnership will focus on developing trusted pricing and analytics for these nascent sectors.

"Investors and markets depend on independent, transparent price information and Platts' full range of low-carbon and associated physical spot market price assessments provide that," said Vera Blei, Head of Platts, S&P Global Energy. "We're delighted S&P Global Energy is a core data, benchmark and market infrastructure collaborator to this initiative."

The collaboration's key focus areas—electrification, carbon-accounted commodities, carbon pricing, clean fuels, and battery metals—represent the foundational pillars of the future energy system. By creating reliable data streams and market monitors for these areas, the partnership aims to empower traders, investors, and corporations to make decisions with conviction.

Mobilizing a Global Network of Exchanges

The UN SSE provides the critical distribution network to ensure this data and knowledge reaches the nerve centers of global finance. Stock exchanges are uniquely positioned to drive sustainability, not just as passive trading venues but as active regulators and market architects. They set listing requirements, promote ESG disclosure, and can create dedicated segments for green bonds and other sustainable products.

With members in nearly every major economy, the UN SSE can facilitate a coordinated global push. The initiative's track record demonstrates a high level of engagement; in 2023, 93 member exchanges provided ESG training, and 53 featured a dedicated ESG bond segment. This new partnership will build on that foundation, providing exchanges with the specialized tools needed for the energy transition.

The collaboration will roll out a comprehensive program including:
* Market Insights Webinars to share timely analysis on green markets.
* In-Depth Energy Transition Training to build technical capacity among market operators.
* Carbon Markets Roundtables to foster dialogue and knowledge-sharing on carbon pricing and trading.
* Data-Driven Market Monitors on carbon, emissions, and clean energy scenarios.

This effort is complementary to broader sustainable finance coalitions like the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), where the UN SSE already plays a key role. By focusing specifically on the market infrastructure for energy transition commodities, this partnership fills a crucial, practical gap in the global climate finance architecture.

From Policy to Practice: A New Framework for Capital

Ultimately, the partnership between S&P Global Energy and the UN SSE represents a powerful effort to translate high-level climate policy into tangible market mechanisms. It moves beyond aspirational goals to build the foundational "plumbing" required for a net-zero financial system. By creating a common language of data and a shared understanding of risk and opportunity, the initiative aims to make investing in the energy transition less complex and more accessible.

The first public event, a webinar on "Carbon Markets and Renewable Energy Credits for Net-Zero Roadmaps," is scheduled for May 14, 2026, signaling the immediate start of this knowledge-sharing campaign. The partners are also forming an expert group on commodity markets to ensure the work remains at the cutting edge of market developments. This practical, action-oriented approach promises to not only inform markets but actively shape them, accelerating the flow of capital toward a more sustainable and resilient global economy.