When looking back on 2017, we have all the reason to warmly thank our members and partners for greatly helping us take important steps forward:

With 9 events hosted or co-hosted by SSF, over 20 third-party events with active contributions from our association and 4 publications released, we jointly managed to leave a positive footprint in the Swiss financial centre. We are particularly happy, to present the first edition of a new publication series today: In our “Focus” we address practical questions sustainable investors are facing and include suggestions for pragmatic solutions. This first edition covers the topic of controversial weapons exclusions, an approach which, for many investors, forms the first step in creating more sustainable portfolios.

For 2018 we aim to keep up the momentum we see, created by initiatives such as “Financial Centres for Sustainability”. This network launched by UNEP Inquiry has gained both Geneva and Zurich as its members and SSF will support the Swiss involvement in this international initiative. On the home front, we will start the new year with our first full-day event on inspiring investment partnerships: join us on 16 January to discuss, how we can jointly mobilise more means contributing to a sustainable world.

We wish you a joyful Christmas time and a very happy New Year.

Kind regards,

The SSF Team

Sabine Döbeli, Kelly Hess, Jean Laville, Alberto Stival, Marietta Caprez, Anna Walker

SSF activities

Regulatory and market news

SSF and sustainable finance in the media

New members joining SSF

Join these events

New reports & studies

SSF launches first edition of new “Focus” Series: Controversial Weapons Exclusions

Additionally, it covers potential risks linked to inadequately addressing associated issues for financing, investing and underwriting activities. The factsheet is digitally available in English, German and French.

SSF hosts event in Ticino: Sustainable real estate investments: creating long-term value for investors

On 30 November, SSF raised a debate on sustainable real estate investment and therewith attracted a diverse audience of over 100 professionals comprised of architects, finance professionals, real estate evaluators as well as academics. 

Zurich and Geneva join the International Network of Financial Centres for Sustainability

The Network’s inaugural meeting will take place in Milan on 12-13 April 2018. Download the report on the action areas, as well as strategic priorities which the group will address in the following years and read the press release.

SSF promotes Swiss sustainable finance capacities in Hong Kong

SSF was part of an official delegation for the festival "Zurich meets Hong Kong" organised by the Canton and the City of Zurich with the aim of promoting Swiss capacities abroad.

SSF partners with SIA to discuss the contribution of Swiss financial players to the SDGs

As part of the Swiss Green Economy Symposium on 30 October, SSF co-organized a breakout session on sustainable investment together with the Swiss Insurance Association (SIA). The aim of the dialogue was to establish how Switzerland could achieve the Agenda 2030 and what role the financial sector has to play. After insights from financial market practitioners, a panel discussed regulatory barriers to sustainable –particularly infrastructure – investment in Switzerland, as well as the need to create innovative products resulting in tangible impact. SSF concluded the session by providing and overview on the many international initiatives underway and encouraged Swiss players to join this movement. 

Read more on this event.

SSF co-hosts workshop with Chinese delegation on climate finance

The afternoon program was populated with panelists from the Swiss private and public sectors and the academic community.

Read more on this event.

SSF presents sustainable finance approaches at UNCTAD Investment, Enterprise and Development Commission

On 20 November, SSF gave input at the UNCTAD Investment, Enterprise and Development Commission's ninth session on "Investment and enterprise development as catalysts for accomplishing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". During this ministerial meeting attended by ministers mainly from African countries, Sabine Döbeli (CEO, SSF) presented Swiss Solutions incentivising private Investments into solutions to help reach the SDGs.

Read more about these and other SSF activities

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Swiss news

• In collaboration with the 2° Investing Initiative, the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has published the anonymised results of the analysis of 79 Swiss institutional asset owners. Insurance companies and pension funds representing 2/3 of the Swiss institutional assets voluntarily shared their portfolios to determine their CO2 impact, which was measured to be about 2°C above the Paris Convention target, according to the report.
• The Canton of Geneva issued its first green bond to finance green and energy efficient infrastructure. It is the first green bond issued by a Swiss cantonal authority and it totals CHF 620 million.
• The OECD has published the OECD Environmental Performance Review of Switzerland 2017. With regards to sustainable finance, the report recommends to foster a market orientated transition to renewables, to systematically monitor environmental performance in private sector investment and to use the venture capital market to promote eco-innovation.
• Switzerland and the EU have officiated the linking of their emission trading systems (ETS). Under the collaboration, both ETS can use their respective allowances for compliance. The Swiss parliament still has to approve the agreement in early 2018 before the two parties can progress its ratification.

International initiatives

• The PRI has mapped the TCFD recommendations against its reporting framework and introduced 14 voluntary climate reporting indicators. The PRI will issue guidance on the pilot climate reporting in January 2018.
• During the COP23 in Bonn, 25 countries launched the Powering Past Coal Alliance, with the aim to phase out traditional coal power and set a moratorium on any new traditional coal power stations without operational carbon capture and storage. Switzerland is also amongst the 25 supporters, which are expected to double until the COP24 in 2018.
• The HLEG has condensed its eight recommendations from the report in July 2017 to five, including Taxonomy, Green bond standards and labels, Fiduciary duty/investor duty, Infrastructure and the Engagement of Supervisory bodies in sustainability monitoring. The final recommendations will be handed to the EU Commission in January 2018.
• At the annual meeting on the Equator Principles, the participants decided to revise the Equator Principles III to include, amongst others, the scope of applicability, human rights (addressing rights of Indigenous Peoples) and climate change.

Market trends

• The World Bank has announced it will terminate the financing of oil and gas exploration by 2019. Currently, oil and gas make up 1-2% of its portfolio.
• The investor group Climate Action 100+, representing  USD 26.3 trn pledged to engage with 100 corporations, which are presumed to be responsible for approximately 85% of global green house gas emissions. The companies were identified with direct and indirect emission data from CDP.
• Following other European insurers that have withdrawn USD 20 bn from coal investments, Zurich insurance announced it will no longer underwrite new thermal coal mines or insure clients and utility companies that receive more than 50% of their revenue or energy supply from thermal coal.
• The world’s largest pension fund from Japan, managing more than USD 1 trn, plans to align its investment with ESG principles. To achieve this goal, the company has made a call for a Global Environmental Stock Index, to support its management of foreign equities.
• BNP Paribas has decided to “progressively disengage” from funding and advising tobacco companies throughout their whole product palette. This move was justified, among other reasons, by the industry’s detrimental effect on health and the exclusion of tobacco firms from the UN Global compact.

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• 1 December 2017, Corriere del Ticino, Case investimenti «verdi» e redditizi
• 28 November 2017, NZZ, Wer sein Geld in nachhaltigen Fonds anlegen will, muss genau hinschauen
• 23 November 2017, Finanz und Wirtschaft, Nachhaltige Investmentfonds liegen bei Schweizer Anlegern im Trend
• 17 November 2017, SRF (Radio), Nachhaltigkeit hat weder für Banken noch für Kunden Priorität
• 8 November 2017, NZZ, Genf geht neue Wege
• 7 November 2017, Le Temps, Genève teste le marché des obligations «vertes»
• 7 November 2017, Beobachter, Gutes Geld mit gutem Gewissen
• 31 October 2017, moneycab, 5. Swiss Green Economy Symposium: „Nachhaltigkeit hat sich zu bedeutendem Wirtschaftsfaktor entwickelt“ (contribution of Jean-Daniel Gerber)
• 28 October 2017, Finanz und Wirtschaft, Sonderbeilage «Institutionelles Anlegen» (contribution of Sabine Döbeli)
• 26 October 2017, Handelszeitung, Nachhaltig investieren mit positiver Wirkung
• 24 October 2017, La Matinale, RTS (Radio Télevision Suisse), L'invité-e de Romain Clivaz - Angela de Wolff, présidente de Conser Invest
• 24 October 2017, Die Volkswirtschaft, Investieren in Zeiten des Klimawandels
• 22 October 2017, Tages-Anzeiger, Klimatest im Dunkeln
• 17 October 2017, Bilan, La Suisse veut s'engager davantage pour la finance durable (contribution of Jean Laville)

Visit our website for more articles and regular updates

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We welcome the following organisation as new SSF member:

• 16 January 2018, SSF, Inspiring investment partnerships to achieve global goals, Zurich. Sign up here to save your seat
• 18 January 2018, SECO & UBS Optimus Foundation, Social Impact Bond Conference, Zurich
• 22-23 January 2018, Swiss Government and the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC), Financial Institutions, Business and Climate Change: Addressing Risks and Opportunities in a Changing World, Zurich
• 30 January 2018, SNBS, SNBS 2.0 HOCHBAU Nachhaltiges Bauen – Markt- und Investmentsicht, Zurich
• 28 Feburary, Banque Alternative Suisse, Débats d’archent: Sociaux, durables, innovants, Lausanne
• Save this date: The next Annual SSF Conference will take place on 19 June 2018

Further events are listed on the SSF Website

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• December 2017: This ShareAction UK report Banking on a Low-Carbon Future captures the current state of the European banking sector’s response to climate-related risk and the low-carbon transition. It aims to provide share- and bondholders in the 15 largest European banks with an overview of where the sector is positioned on climate-related risks and opportunities.
• November 2017: During the COP23 in Bonn, the UNEP Inquiry and the World Bank published a Roadmap for a Sustainable Financial System to propose an integrated approach to accelerate the transformation toward a sustainable financial system through market-based, national and international initiatives. The vision that the Roadmap seeks to reach is one of a financial system, which integrates the full costing of positive and negative externalities.
• November 2017: The Creating Markets for Climate Business: An IFC Climate Investment Opportunities Report provides information for investors, banks and companies about the most attractive climate investment opportunities, while offering governments a set of best practice policies and measures that have been proven to attract private investment.
• November 2017: The study Creating impact with a foundation's Assets: Mission (Im)Possible? by Responsible Impact Investing looks at how foundations are applying mission-related investing and their corresponding needs in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
• November 2017: The metastudy Evidence on the Financial Performance of Impact Investments by the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) evaluates over a dozen studies and finds that investors who aim for market-rate returns can achieve them, given a diligent fund manager selection.
• November 2017: The SSE green finance action plan How Stock Exchanges can grow Green Finance provides exchanges with a checklist of 12 action points within 4 action areas. SSF was a member of the advisory council for this report. It can be used as a self-assessment tool to identify areas where stock exchanges can initiate or expand their activities.
• November 2017: The Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth (CSP), University of Zurich has published a briefing note on ESG and Financial Performance. This analysis illustrates the clear business case of a good ESG performance of companies. Roughly 90% of academic studies find a non-negative relation between ESG criteria and financial performance with an overwhelming share of studies showing positive results.
• October 2017: The aim of the oekom study The Impact of Socially Responsible Investments on Companies – an Empirical Analysis is to identify the extent to which sustainable capital markets impact the way companies handle the social and environmental challenges of sustainability. 475 companies participated in the survey.
• October – December 2017: With its diverse workgroups, the PRI has released 3 guidances during the last 2 months. The reports, Managing ESG risk in the supply chains of private companies and assets, Investment Consultant Services Review and The SDG Investment Case will help investors across the industry obtain a better understanding of these issues.

Read these and other reports

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