Each year on World Oceans Day, we are reminded of the critical role oceans and water resources play in sustaining life, economies and ecosystems across the globe. At Euronext, our commitment to empowering sustainable finance means actively supporting investment solutions that promote the health of our oceans and responsible water stewardship.
As part of our ESG commitment to empowering sustainable finance, we are proud to highlight two key Euronext index families that put water and ocean sustainability at the forefront of sustainable investing.
Euronext CDP Water Eurozone EW Index
This index tracks the 50 leading companies in the Eurozone 300 universe with top CDP Water scores under the CDP’s environmental disclosure system, reflecting outstanding water stewardship practices and stringent environmental, social and governance criteria. Constituent companies demonstrate strong governance, social responsibility and environmental commitment, with an ESG rating above the benchmark and a focus on managing water-related risks and eco-efficiency.
Key index highlights:
- ESG performance: The index outperforms its benchmark on overall ESG scores, particularly in governance, while maintaining a strong environmental profile focused on climate strategy, energy management, water risk mitigation and eco-efficiency.
- Social and governance: The index shows low social risk exposures and solid governance frameworks, including monitoring of board independence and anti-corruption policies.
- EU taxonomy alignment: Over 34% of revenues in the index align with the EU taxonomy environmental objectives, reflecting a growing commitment to sustainable economic activities.
By selecting companies that actively mitigate water risks and contribute to sustainable water management, the Euronext CDP Water Eurozone EW offers investors a transparent, equal-weighted exposure to businesses aligned with global water sustainability goals.
Euronext Water and Ocean Europe 40 EW
Designed to track the top 40 companies within the Euronext Europe 500 with the highest environmental performance scores for water and ocean sustainability, this index relies on ISS ESG’s rigorous Water & Ocean scoring framework. It focuses exclusively on environmental factors such as contribution to the UN SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), water usage efficiency, scarcity management and pollution control.
Key index highlights:
- Selection and composition: Constituents are selected from companies with a minimum free float market capitalisation of €3 billion and sufficient liquidity. Equal weighting promotes diversification and rebalancing occurs annually.
- ESG integration: The index emphasises environmental stewardship and ocean sustainability, making it a specialised benchmark for investors prioritising these critical areas.
- Performance overview: Recent data shows strong returns with an annualised 5-year return of approximately 9.5%, reflecting the resilience of companies leading in water and ocean sustainability.
- Sector and geographic exposure: Top sectors include finance, utilities, consumer discretionary and technology, with key country representation from France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands.
Through its focus on companies driving innovation in water efficiency, pollution control and ocean sustainability, the Euronext Water and Ocean Europe 40 EW offers investors diversified exposure to businesses at the forefront of protecting vital aquatic ecosystems.
Supporting sustainable finance and the Blue Economy
Both indices reflect Euronext’s broader ESG commitment and our role as a leading European ESG index provider. They offer transparent, data-driven tools for investors to align their portfolios with global sustainability goals, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation.
Celebrating innovation for ocean health with the Euronext Blue Challenge
Euronext’s commitment to protecting ocean health is year-round. As part of our ongoing dedication to the Blue Economy, we recently hosted the Euronext Blue Challenge 2025, empowering young entrepreneurs across Europe to develop sustainable innovations addressing marine and water-related challenges. This flagship initiative highlights the dynamic intersection of sustainable finance, education and environmental stewardship that defines Euronext’s ESG commitment.
Learn more about Euronext’s water-related indices* and the Blue Challenge, and join us in advancing a sustainable future for our oceans and water resources.