Frequently Asked Questions

GIX (Green Impact Exchange) will be a new registered securities exchange that uses listing standards to incentivize public companies to credibly commit to good “green” governance, and demonstrate to investors that they are serious about their sustainability commitments. Investors can rely on a company’s GIX listing as proof that the company has adopted the necessary internal infrastructure to support its commitments and provide them with consistent, reliable, transparent information about sustainability.

Exchanges are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and are required by the SEC to enforce their listing standards. There are real – and public – consequences if a company defaults on its obligations to GIX: among other things, a notice of non-compliance from the Exchange is publicly reportable to investors, as is a delisting itself. The possibility of negative consequences (including negative media reaction triggered by such reporting) creates corporate accountability that’s currently missing from the sustainability landscape. As a result, companies that choose to list on GIX are signaling to investors that they are serious about setting and meeting their commitments.

The existing ecosystem around sustainability is well intentioned but has yet to deliver on its promises. Currently there is no easy, reliable method for investors to ensure the companies they invest in are serious about delivering on their promises. Most reporting is voluntary and focuses on backward-looking details that don’t predict what a company will do next year or five years from now, and don’t require companies to adopt the internal infrastructure that will assure investors that their sustainability commitments are achievable and likely to succeed over the long term, thereby delivering real value.

A GIX listing is a simple, binary investment screen: either a company has committed to that infrastructure and is listed, or it hasn’t and it’s not. GIX-listed companies benefit because investors can reward them by allocating sustainable investment dollars to them. Green-minded investors benefit from knowing which companies are credibly committed to delivering long-term value around sustainability and which are not.

1. Leadership – The company and its board must make a public commitment to long-term sustainability and create meaningful mechanisms to hold itself accountable.
2. Stakeholders – The company must identify, engage, and communicate with key stakeholders in its sustainability commitments.
3. Goals – The company must have a plan (short-, medium-, and long-term) that will lead to operating its business sustainably.
4. Strategy – The company must align its business strategy with its principles and implement policies and processes designed to achieve its sustainability commitments and goals.
5. Compliance – The company must commit to regular public reporting and analysis of transparent, verifiable auditable sustainability metrics.
6. Alignment – The company must ensure that its sustainability commitments are reflected in all aspects of the company's business and operations.

GIX does not focus on incremental environmental metrics (e.g., yearly carbon output) but instead looks at whether the company has a robust governance infrastructure that supports positive progress toward all of its sustainability goals. It's not that metrics aren't important, but that without a plan and a strategy, metrics are just numbers.

The Exchange has applied to the SEC for approval of its Form 1 Exchange Registration Application. The SEC is currently collecting public comments on GIX’s application. You can review and comment on the application [on the SEC’s website. Once we receive SEC approval, we expect to launch within 3-4 months.

GIX will initially be a dual listing venue, meaning that a company must be listed on another exchange to qualify to list on our exchange. In the future, we plan to offer companies the option to use GIX as their primary listing venue for ordinary equity shares and/or other classes of equity securities.

Listing on GIX will verify and validate companies' commitment to environmental goals, thereby making GIX-listed issuers a more attractive investment for sustainability-conscious investors. It also provides a unique benefit for firms seeking sustainable earmarked funds (better branding, ease of raising funds, and the potential for better stock performance).

GIX will begin listing and trading companies after it receives regulatory approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission. If you would like us to keep you posted about our progress, please sign up for our mailing list

The listing fee for a company to join and list on GIX will be in line with other major exchanges. For a company to be listed, it must also meet and maintain the Exchange's green governance criteria. Failure to comply with exchange rules and regulations may result in delisting from the Exchange.

GIX will require companies to select the sustainability reporting framework that is best suited to the company and its industry. The company then must report to that framework consistent with its design.

We're excited to share more about our story. Please sign up for our mailing list or reach out to us by email at info@tradegix.com

Once approved, GIX will provide the best of all worlds for sustainable traders: competitive trading fees and liquidity, NMS compatibility, and the ability to access reliable information about companies’ commitment to sustainability. In addition, a portion of all trading proceeds will go to GIX’s Return to Green program, which will fund sustainability efforts by organizations on the front lines of sustainability.

The trading fees for GIX will be in line with other major exchanges. Fees are subject to SEC review, and will be announced once we have received approval of our Exchange application from the SEC.

GIX is working with our vendors and consultants to implement a carbon-neutral trading experience upon launch.