(Hong Kong, Shanghai, 7 December 2020) Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter “Ping An” or the “Group”, HKEX: 02318; SSE: 601318) launched a technology-driven ESG evaluation system at the 2020 Boao Forum for Entrepreneurs – China Wealth Summit in Boao, Hainan on 5 December. The system is part of a collaboration between Ping An and Xinhua News Agency’s China Economic Information Service in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) research to provide enterprises and investors with "product + consulting" solutions to promote sustainable investment and social development in China.

Photo Caption: Xu Yuchang, Chairman and President of China Economic Information Service, and Chen Yao, General Manager of the Brand Department of Ping An Group announce the Xinhua CN-ESG Evaluation System.

The Xinhua CN-ESG Evaluation System will help build an ESG system for enterprises and investors that meets Chinese and international standards, providing smart tools and data support for ESG risk control, model building, and investment portfolio management. Referencing ESG-related compliance disclosure standards both domestically and internationally, the system takes into account the core ESG issues of Chinese enterprises, such as the stage of development of the local economy and domestic regulatory requirements.

The evaluation system integrates more than 10 ESG themes, 130 basic indicators, 350 data points and 40 industry risk and opportunity matrix indicators that meet domestic and international requirements. The system uses cutting-edge technologies, including natural language processing (NLP) technology, associative analysis, machine learning, remote sensing satellites for data collection, supplementation and cross-validation, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based smart evaluation. The technology objectively scores all indicators to avoid biases or inconsistencies that arise from subjective analysis. The weightings of the indicators are set using market backtest results to achieve a realistic and practical evaluation of the ESG performance of a company. There is also real-time smart monitoring of public opinion to produce dynamic ESG scores for enterprises.

China Economic Information Service is one of the largest economic information service organizations in China with the widest range of service and the most comprehensive product categories. It is committed to applying professional insight to research to localize ESG evaluation systems and provide relevant ESG evaluation reports, information disclosure reports, industry research reports and other ESG-related releases relevant to large enterprises and listed companies.

Ping An, as a responsible integrated financial services group in China, has taken the lead in joining international ESG investment initiatives such as the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment. It is committed to promoting finance to contribute to sustainable development of society and the environment. Under its "finance + technology" strategy, Ping An is also developing smart applications for ESG analysis in various financial scenarios.

China Economic Information Service and Ping An also plan to collaborate on an ESG data platform, enterprise evaluation reports and consulting, financial indexes and product development to contribute to the sustainable development of China's economy.

The China Wealth Summit is an important part of the 2020 Boao Forum for Entrepreneurs. It was co-hosted by China Fortune Media Group, China Economic Information Service and Xinhuanet.