A Framework for Identifying Material sustainability Criteria in the Exchange Industry Using Fuzzy AHP Method

Considering the important role of the exchange industry in the optimal allocation of resources and economic growth, as well as promoting a culture of attention to sustainability issues, the purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive framework of material sustainability criteria in the exchange industry for integration into strategies, performance measurement, evaluation and reporting. In order to identify material sustainability criteria in the Iranian exchange industry, the findings of Ahmadi et al research (1401) which include 33 criteria and 352 sub-criteria have been used as a basis. In order to formulate a local framework, the participation of 21 industry experts was used to modify the criteria identified in the Ahmadi et al, according to the culture of Iran. Finally, after finalizing sustainability framework of the Iranian exchange industry, in order to evaluate materiality and prioritize the main criteria, the Fuzzy AHP method has been used. Considering the extensive effects of exchanges from the perspective of financing economic enterprises and the government (through transaction fee tax and issuing bonds), the findings of this study indicate the priority of economic dimension over other sustainability dimensions. Macroeconomics, government and other regulators and trust and confidence have the greatest relative importance among all other criteria. On the other hand, due to the low emissions of exchanges, the relative importance of environment dimension criteria is less than other dimensions in the industry. IntroductionThe number of countries that have organized capital markets has increased greatly in recent decades and investors' interest in capital markets have experienced unprecedented growth in recent years. As a result of the increased attention of society towards investing in capital markets, their awareness of sustainability issues has also increased. As a result, in such a situation, the necessity of proper management and sustainable performance of exchanges and issuing sustainability reports is more important than before. Sustainability reporting deals with how a company can report its sustainability performance in the form of a formal report, taking into account its responsibilities regarding positive and negative economic, social and environmental impacts (Hahn & Michael, 2013).In the current situation of Iranian exchanges and the volatility of stock prices and indices, the attention of a wide range of domestic stakeholders h