If this email is not displaying correctly, please click here.
 
 
SSF Newsletter October 2024
 
Counting Assets
 
Dear all
 

The financial sector is one of the many players which need to strengthen their efforts to contribute to meaningful progress in achieving the SDGs. Dedicated impact investing has a special role to play in this. It can finance economic activities that reduce poverty, bring clean energy to underserved regions or strengthen education and health services. Impact investing can help to bring such solutions to scale.

Earlier this week SSF, jointly with Tameo Impact Fund Solutions, published the report “A Stocktake of Swiss Impact Investing” with the objective to provide detailed insights into volumes and structure of impact investing as it is implemented by Swiss asset managers today. The publication demonstrates that Switzerland is among the top 3 countries globally in terms of private market impact investment volumes. This strong position is a result of the long history Switzerland has in impact investing, with first microfinance investment products being offered in the early 2000s.

But besides looking at the state of impact investing today, the report more importantly aims to make recommendations on how to address barriers for further growth and thereby provides the basis for future collaborative efforts between different actors in the Swiss impact investing space.

SSF and Tameo were not the only organisations counting impact assets this month. This newsletter also highlights the global market sizing from GIIN and a Symbiotics publication that explores risk perception and bias in investments in emerging markets (see below in the reports section).

 

Kind regards

Veronica Baker

Project Manager

 
 
 
 
 
 
Newsletter content
 

SSF activities at a glance

Regulatory and market news

New SSF members and network partners

Education News

Join these events

SSF and sustainable finance in the media

New reports & studies

 
 
 
 
SSF activities at a glance
 
 
New SSF/Tameo Publication: A Stocktake of Swiss Impact Investing
 

This publication, prepared in collaboration with Tameo, analyzes insights from the SSF Swiss Sustainable Investment Market Study 2024 and Swiss-specific data from the Tameo Private Asset Impact Fund Report 2023. Together, they provide a comprehensive view of the Swiss impact investing landscape and outline future growth opportunities. Read it on the SSF website or view the recording and the slides on the launch webinar in the members section of the SSF website.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Insights from 10 SSF Companions: August Benz
 
 
 
 

Over the course of the year, we are publishing 10 interviews with key SSF companions that helped make SSF what it is today. Read the eighth in the series, an interview with August Benz, Head of International & Transformation and Deputy CEO of SBA.

 
 
 
SSF Position on the Amendments to the Swiss Code of Obligations (Sustainability Reporting)
 

The SSF Focus Group Regulatory has elaborated and submitted their position on the amendments to the Swiss Code of Obligations (Sustainability Reporting) to the Federal Department of Justice. Find the SSF position here and the annex here (in German).

 
 
 
 
 
 
SBA/SSF Workshop: (Self-) Regulation in the Mortgage Business: Energy Efficiency and Nature-Related Risks
 
 
 
 

The first part of this workshop covered the SBA's energy efficiency guidelines and experts discussed successes, challenges, customer reactions, and collaboration with third-party providers. The second part of the event focused on nature-related risks. Experts presented current developments and showed how climate and other nature-related risks are taken into account in mortgage lending. View a broader summary and pictures of the event here.

 
 
 
SSF Webinar: Practical challenges for companies in Switzerland in implementing the EU’s CSRD and ESRS
 

This webinar informed about the objectives and requirements of the CSRD and ESRS, followed by a panel discussion with Swiss practitioners on the implementation challenges for companies in Switzerland. The slides of the webinar are available in the member section of the SSF website.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Deforestation Workshop with Global Canopy
 
 
 
 

Together with Global Canopy, SSF hosted the members-only workshop "Getting Started with Deforestation Risks Assessment". The workshop informed about the physical, transition and systemic risks posed by deforestation and the essential role the finance sector plays in preventing and mitigating risks. Find a brief summary of the workshop on the SSF website.

 

 
 
 

> Visit our website for more about these and other SSF activities

 
 
 
Regulatory and market news
 
2021_02_05_Market_news_8
 

Market News

  • The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) has launched a public consultation paper on voluntary guidance on the development of “transition-informed” indices to support the global transition to net zero.

  • The Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) announced it hit its target of 500 TNFD Adopters at the COP16 in Cali Colombia on 24 October. Read the press release and see a full list of adopters here.

  • A solution to help investors assess their exposure to nature and biodiversity-related risks was launched by Bloomberg. The tool provides investors with actionable insights to understand and manage their dependency on nature and the impact of their investments.

  • The World Business Council for Sustainable Development hast published a deforestation disclosure guide for financial institutions, which outlines four essential steps: adopting deforestation-free finance guidance, carrying out deforestation-specific disclosure, integrating these risks into climate- and nature-related financial disclosures and transition plans, and striving for comprehensive, holistic disclosure.

  • The University of Zurich has developed ChatReport and AskNature, two AI-powered tools that analyse company reports to assess their environmental impact based on the TCFD (ChatReport) or TNFD (askNature) recommendations. For each report, the tools return an assessment of climate-related respectively nature-related disclosures.

 
 
 
New SSF members and network partners
 
 

We are happy to welcome the following organisations as a new SSF member:

The full list of our members and network partners, now standing at 261, can be found here.  

 
 
 
Education news
 
2022_09_20_education_section_bild_560_120
 
  • SSF has updated its e-learning course: “Introduction to Sustainable Investing” This updated learning module walks you through the key drivers and principles of sustainable investing, the main implementation strategies as well as their adoption in Switzerland. It is suitable for Wealth managers, Asset Managers, and Asset Owners. The updated course is available in English.
 
 
 
Upcoming SSF events
 
2021_02_05_Newsletter_Events
 
  • 11 December 2024, 17:00 – 18:30: Building Bridges Event - Credible climate transition plans across sectors" (more information)
  • 12 December 2024, 10:00 – 11:30: Building Bridges Event - Swiss National Partner launch event: Championing impact investing in Switzerland (more information)
 
 
 
SSF and sustainable finance in the media
 
2021_02_05_Newsletter_News_cropped
 

Visit our website for more articles.

 
 
 
New studies & reports
 
 
General Meetings and Sustainability Reports
 

In this report Ethos assesses the quality of sustainability reports from major Swiss companies, impacting transparency and investor decision-making on ESG issues. Ethos sees mandatory and improved reporting as an important basis for non-financial performance assessment that will reduce greenwashing and help Switzerland align with European standards.

More >
 
 
 
State of the Impact Market 2024 - Trends, Performance and Allocations
 

This report by GIIN, sourcing data from 305 organizations across 39 countries, highlights 14% CAGR in impact investing assets, a shift toward equity-like debt and public assets, and high investor satisfaction despite unmet targets. Key trends include increased data-sharing, diversified impact measurement frameworks, and a push for third-party verification, signaling a more accountable and mature impact investing market.

More >
 
 
Misperception of Risk in Emerging Markets
 

This publication by Symbiotics delves into the factors behind the reluctance of investors to increase their investments in emerging markets. Impact investing in emerging markets is often excluded from investment strategies and the authors attribute this to a psychological bias towards risk aversion amplified by negative media coverage and asset allocations with a domestic bias. However, emerging markets are projected to contribute 70% of future global growth, making their inclusion vital for capitalizing on this potential. Many risks, such as sovereign risk, are often overstated. The report illustrates that default rates in emerging markets are comparable to those in developed markets and that the lower correlation of emerging market currencies to the dollar offers better diversification.

More >
 
 
 
Global Sustainable Fund Flows: Q3 2024 in Review
 

This quarterly report by Morningstar/Sustainalytics examines open-end funds and ETFs focused on impact, sustainability, or ESG risk factors. In Q3 2024, sustainable funds saw net inflows of USD 10.4 billion, mainly from Europe, while the US saw reduced outflows. Global sustainable fund assets grew by 6%, reaching USD 3.3 trillion, aided by stock gains. New fund launches declined, with more closures and rebrandings, especially in Europe, as funds prepare for incoming anti-greenwashing regulations.

More >
 
 

Kind Regards

The SSF Team

 
 
 

Already a member or partner? Make sure you are featured on our website. Get in touch with us to upload your member or network partner profile now.

Interested in joining our network of members and partners?  > Learn more

 
 
SWISS SUSTAINABLE FINANCE
Grossmünsterplatz 6
 
8001 Zürich
 
info@sustainablefinance.ch
 
+41 44 515 60 50
 
Swiss Sustainable Finance   Swiss Sustainable Finance
 
www.sustainablefinance.ch | contact | sign off
 
© Swiss Sustainable Finance