Digital library on sustainable finance
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This short publication contains concrete tools to support advisors in fully preparing for their client discussions on sustainable investing. It highlights the opportunity created for Swiss private banking by the combination of Swiss strengths and clients’ growing demand for investments with a positive social and environmental impact.
The publication is part of the report "Sustainable investing: A unique opportunity for Swiss Private Wealth Management - Ten arguments and practical tools for client advisors" available in English.
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Corporate short-termism has been the subject of ongoing debate among leaders in business, government, and academia for more than 30 years, with much of the discussion focusing on whether it destroys value. This discussion document aims to provide a fact base for this ongoing debate through a systematic measurement of long- and short-termism at the company level. The findings show that companies classified as “long term” outperform their shorter-term peers on a range of key economic and financial metrics.
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This edition of the FOEN magazine highlights the role that the finance sector can and should play to support sustainability and environmental goals.
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In the annual report the Federal Department of Finance takes stock of the progress made by Switzerland regarding international financial and tax matters. The report also states that sustainability in the area of finance is becoming ever more important, both worldwide and for the Swiss financial centre.
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Report on international financial and tax matters 2017 - DE
Report on international financial and tax matters 2017 - FR
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The UNEP FI's Principles for Positive Impact Finance are a set of high-level guidelines, designed to "provide a common yet flexible framework for the business and finance community to identify and develop positive impact activities, entities and projects".
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The Principles for Positive Impact Finance - A Common Framework to Finance the SDGs - EN
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The Global Risks Report 2017 is a survey of 750 thought leaders on global trends and economic risks, which identifies environmental-related risks such as climate change as key challenges in the next years.
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The Thun Group of Banks' new Discussion Paper aims to gain further understanding of how the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights should be applied in the banking sector.
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The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) invited individuals from business, science, society and the public sector to participate in a ‘Green Economy Dialogue Impulse Group’. Among others, the Group identifies an innovative financial sector as necessary to support investments in sustainable products and services and dedicated project partnerships between business and science.
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GO FOR IMPACT - Shaping the future of the Swiss Economy - DE
GO FOR IMPACT - Shaping the future of the Swiss Economy - FR
GO FOR IMPACT - Shaping the future of the Swiss Economy - IT
GO FOR IMPACT - Shaping the future of the Swiss Economy - EN
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This is GIIN's first industry-level trends analysis of the global impact investor market. The report shows the strong growth in the market (18% CAGR from 2013 to 2015), the satisfaction felt by impact investors in financial and social returns, and points out some success factors and barriers facing the industry.
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Impact Investing Trends - Evidence of a growing industry - EN
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This 10-year review of the landscape of microfinance offshore investments is based on data collected through annual CGAP/Symbiotics surveys of MIVs conducted between 2007 and 2016.
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The Schroders Global Investor Study has gathered the views of 20,000 investors in 28 countries – each with the equivalent of at least € 10,000 invested. 1,836 financial advisers also took part in the survey. The survey revealed that ESG investing is gaining momentum: In addition to the 22% of advisers who think ESG is already an important element in fund recommendations, 62% of advisers expect ESG to become increasingly important within five years. Among investors, ESG issues were more important to “millennials” – investors of the future - than to older generations.
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Schroders Global Investment Study 2016: What investors think about responsible investing - EN
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responsAbility’s "Micro and SME Finance Market Outlook", which has been published each year since 2010, explores global developments in the microfinance industry and produces forecasts for the next 12-14 months. For the 2017 edition of the publication, the universe covered in the analysis was expanded to include SME banks for the first time.
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This is a global study that analyses the impact of responsible investment-related public policy initiatives. They identify almost 300 policy instruments globally that support investors taking longer-term views and mind some evidence that such policies drive better ESG performance by companies. Although currently, the report finds rather weak implementation, there are signs that governments are beginning to link sustainability and capital markets policy.
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To help identify the information needed by investors, lenders, and insurance underwriters to appropriately assess and price climate-related risks and opportunities, the Financial Stability Board established an industry-led task force: the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (Task Force). The Task Force was asked to develop voluntary, consistent climate-related financial disclosures that would be useful to investors, lenders, and insurance underwriters in understanding material risks. In this report, the Task Force presents four widely adoptable recommendations on climate-related financial disclosures that are applicable to organizations across sectors and jurisdictions. Importantly, the Task Force’s recommendations apply to financial sector organizations, including banks, insurance companies, asset managers, and asset owners.
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Recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures - EN
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CISL has facilitated this report with ClimateWise, a growing global network of over 30 leading insurers, reinsurers, brokers and industry service providers with a voluntary, shared commitment to reduce the impactof climate change on both society and the insurance industry. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between the insurance industry, its investment activities and its potential support for climate resilience. This has been addressed through an overview of the existing and potential capabilities within the insurance industry’s asset management, underwriting and risk management activities that could promote broader societal resilience to climate risk. This report is intended to act as a foundation for further research and discussion across this crucial area. In order to provide a broad overview, we engaged with a wide range of stakeholders across the industry’s underwriting and asset management activities, as well as a variety of external stakeholders including representatives from rating agencies, engineering firms and central and local governments.
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As of November 2016, 271 cities in developing countries had committed to developing climate mitigation and adaptation plans. However, they currently have limited access to the capital necessary to implement these plans. This report offers a strategic guide for cities in developing countries to access green bond market flows, a potential source of finance for cities in developing countries looking to secure investment in low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure to meet the water, energy, housing and transportation needs of their expanding urban populations.
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Green-Bonds-for-Cities-A-Strategic-Guide-for-City-level-Policymakers-in-Developing-Countries (pdf 780.3 kB)Summary
The 2016 study covers 13 different European markets and reports on the state of the sustainable investment market as of the end of 2015.
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This report was commissioned by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment. It expands the knowledge about determining the climate impact of finance flows, and also examines the performance of investment strategies that are more climate-friendly.
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Climate-friendly investment strategies and performance (Summary) - DE
Climate-friendly investment strategies and performance (Summary) - EN
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Climate change, and the new risks and opportunities emerging from it are of high interest to policymakers, regulators, investors, corporations, and others. Similarly, the solution to climate change involves diverse communities acting together towards common goals, including the crucial role of business. This new report on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission trends from 3,500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the world is intended to help clarify trends and opportunities in this group of actors and their value chains. These companies account for about 20% of global annual emissions (without even including their value chains). As with four previous GHG trends reports, this new report examines how much emissions have increased or decreased over the most recent four-year period from this group of companies.
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Global 3500 Greenhouse Gas Performance 2010-2015 - Key Trends & Opportunities for Leadership - EN
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With trillions of USD expected investments in infrastructure over the next 15 years, it will be important to finance the right kind of projects to tackle three important challenges: reigniting global growth, meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reducing climate risk. Read this comprehensive report to learn more about the decisions that need to be made regarding our infrastructure investments and mobilising the right capital for the right projects.
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With input of SSF CEO Sabine Döbeli on the role of insurance and financial services (see page 139).
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Brennpunkt Klima Schweiz - Grundlagen, Folgen und Perspektiven - DE
Brennpunkt Klima Schweiz - Grundlagen, Folgen und Perspektiven - FR
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Swiss Sustainable Finance has prepared a handbook on sustainable investments for Swiss institutional asset owners. The handbook contains relevant information for institutional asset owners and consists of 21 chapters, 8 case studies, a glossary, and over 30 visuals. It offers a comprehensive overview of the various available sustainable investment strategies and it contains concrete tips helpful in implementing a sustainable investment policy.
One year after the publication of the handbook in German and French, SSF updated and translated the publication into English
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The Federal Council names five key thrusts of the financial market policy, which demonstrate how the Swiss financial centre's opportunities and challenges will be addressed and how the centre's competitiveness should be maintained. The chapter on "innovation" states that the financial market policy should play a supportive role also in the area of sustainable investments.
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Financial market policy for a competitive Swiss financial centre - DE
Financial market policy for a competitive Swiss financial centre - FR
Financial market policy for a competitive Swiss financial centre - IT
Financial market policy for a competitive Swiss financial centre - EN
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This paper gives an overview of the most relevant sustainable finance trends and initiatives, focusing on sustainable investing. It explains the important role of the financial regulator in advancing sustainable financial markets. The purpose of this publication is to provide a brief overview and to stimulate further discussion and interest.
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Beyond growth: Sustainability of our planet - Private sector finance initiatives - EN
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This guidance document sets out remunderation policy guidelines that apply to management companies and investment companies under the Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferable Securities (Ucits).
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Guidelines on sound remuneration policies under the UCITS Directive - IT
