The public service mandate has formed the foundation of our business activities since our founding in 1870. We have received it from our owner, the Canton of Zurich. It is anchored in the law on Zürcher Kantonalbank and is specified in the guidelines on the public service mandate.
Sustainability
For the Zürcher Kantonalbank transparent reporting is very important. In the following, you will find all information on ESG topics of our bank.
Our Guidelines
Our Guidelines
The Law on Zürcher Kantonalbank
The interests and strategy of the owner are expressed in the law on Zürcher Kantonalbank. This regulates the legal form, purpose, capital resources, state guarantee, business area, supervision, organization, and profit distribution.
Download The Law on Zürcher Kantonalbank (German) (PDF, 165 KB)
Guidelines for the public service mandate
The guidelines for the fulfillment of the public service mandate of Zürcher Kantonalbank concretize the public service mandate anchored in the law on Zürcher Kantonalbank.
Download Guidelines for the public service mandate (German) (PDF, 146 KB)
Group strategy
At Zürcher Kantonalbank, the sustainability strategy is already laid down in the purpose article of the law on Zürcher Kantonalbank and is part of our public service mandate. It is also anchored in the guidelines for the public service mandate. Zürcher Kantonalbank's sustainability ambition is an integral part of the group strategy.
Learn more about the group strategy
Sustainability policy
In our sustainability policy, we concretize and operationalize our sustainability ambition of the group strategy. Our sustainability policy forms the basis for successively improving our sustainability impact. It includes targets in the E, S and G areas and defines minimum standards and exclusion criteria. The General Management reviews the sustainability policy annually.
Our sustainability policy includes our climate policy, our biodiversity policy, our raw materials policy, and our human rights policy.
Learn more about the sustainability policy (PDF, 150 KB)
Further guidelines
Procurement Policy (German) (PDF, 71 KB)
Environmentally and socially responsible organization of events (German) (PDF, 526 KB)
Our Reporting
Our Reporting
Report with reference to the GRI Standards
The sustainability reporting 2022 shows how Zürcher Kantonalbank lives sustainability as an integrated business principle. In the reporting section, which was prepared with reference to the standard of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the key indicators are presented.
Report with reference to the GRI Standards 2022 (PDF, 765 KB)
Sustainability Report
We reconcile economic activity with responsibility for the environment and society. The report on the public service mandate shows how we make a sustainable contribution to owners and the public, customers, suppliers and partners, and our employees.
Download "Report on the Public Service Mandate" (PDF, 2 MB)
UN Principles for Responsible Banking (UN PRB)
In 2021, Zürcher Kantonalbank signed the Principles for Responsible Banking of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). This voluntary initiative commits participants to a unified framework to integrate sustainability across all business areas.
Download "PRB-Reporting and Self-Assessment.pdf (PDF, 328 KB)
Metrics and targets
Metrics and targets
BSC metric on performance mandate
The strategic metrics form three ratings on the performance mandate (rating on the supply, support, and sustainability mandate), which are incorporated into the balanced scorecard - a strategic management tool - of our bank.
Corporate environmental program 2018-2022
The corporate environmental program defines the environmental goals for the operational ecology of Zürcher Kantonalbank (parent company). The goal of the environmental program is to continuously reduce CO2e emissions and increase operational ecological performance. As part of the environmental management system and public service mandate of Zürcher Kantonalbank, it promotes sustainability in banking operations. With the help of the operational environmental program, we have been able to reduce our CO2e footprint by 68 percent since 2010.
Download our corporate environmental program 2018 – 2022 (PDF, 412 KB)
Ratings and Benchmarks
MSCI ESG
2023: AA
ISS-ESG
2023: Status Prime, Rating C
The absolute rating scale contains 12 levels, ranging from D- to A+. The best rating achieved is currently B-. Thus, with a C, Zürcher Kantonalbank ranks in the best decile in a relative industry comparison.
Prime status is awarded to industry leaders that meet demanding absolute performance expectations and are thus well positioned to both manage critical ESG risks and take advantage of opportunities arising from the shift towards sustainable development
WWF
WWF Switzerland compared the 15 largest Swiss retail banks regarding the criteria of corporate governance, savings, investment and provisioning, and loans and financing.
2020: The overall result of Zürcher Kantonalbank was again rated as "contemporary".
PACTA
Zürcher Kantonalbank participated in the 2020 Paris Agreement Capital Transition Assessment (PACTA). Further Information can be found in our PACTA-Information (German) (PDF, 452 KB).
Honors and awards
Our Funds and Fund manager are regularly honored with Fund Awards.
Learn more about honors and awards.
We are committed
Memberships
We have signed the following initiatives to commit to sustainability.
Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
Zürcher Kantonalbank signed the CDP in 2005. The CDP gathers the CO2 data of companies and manages the world's largest database for this purpose. This data is used in our sustainability research.
EUROSIF
EUROSIF (European Sustainable Investment Forum) is a non-profit organization to foster sustainable investments. As association of the national Sustainable Investment Forums in multiple European countries. EUROSIF coordinates multi-national projects. The transparency code primarly aims at increasing accountability and clarity of socially responsible investing practices for European investors.
Forum Nachhaltige Geldanlagen e.V. (Forum for Sustainable Investments)
Zürcher Kantonalbank is a member of the Forum für Nachhaltige Geldanlagen e.V. (FNG) and hosts events for FNG. The goal of FNG is to promote dialogue between the areas of business, science and politics and improve the framework conditions for sustainable investments.
Montréael Carbon Pledge
In 2015, Zürcher Kantonalbank was the first Swiss bank to sign the Montréal Carbon Pledge. The Montréal Carbon Pledge is an investor initiative committed to disclosing the carbon footprint of our equity funds.
Net-Zero Banking Alliance
In December 2022, the Zürcher Kantonalbank joined the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, which is convened by the UN and led by the financial industry. In doing so, the bank aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It is committing its business activities to scientific-based targets that are aligned with the 1.5-degree climate goal.
Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF)
Zürcher Kantonalbank is a member of Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF) since 2015. Swiss Sustainable Finance strengthens the position of Switzerland in the global marketplace for sustainable finance by informing, educating and catalyzing growth. The organisation counts on a broad members’ base ranging from financial service providers, investors, universities, public sector entities to other interested organisations.
swisscleantech
Zürcher Kantonalbank is a member of swisscleantech. The Swiss business association is committed to a climate-friendly economy and a CO2-neutral Switzerland by 2050 at the latest.
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD)
Since May 2022, we are officially a TCFD Supporter. The Financial Stability Board created the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) to improve and increase reporting of climate-related financial information.
By publicly declaring support for the TCFD and its recommendations, we demonstrate that they we taking action to build a more resilient financial system through climate-related disclosure.
UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEO FI)
Zürcher Kantonalbank signed the UNEP Statement by Financial Institutions on the Environment and Sustainable Development in 1995. The initiative supports companies in integrating aspects of sustainability.
UN Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB)
In 2021, Zürcher Kantonalbank signed the Principles for Responsible Banking of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). This voluntary initiative commits participants to a unified framework to integrate sustainability across all business areas.
UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)
Zürcher Kantonalbank signed the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2009. The goal of the PRI is to ensure that environmental, social and governance issues are taken into account in investment decision-making processes and to increase transparency for clients.
Zurich energy model
Zürcher Kantonalbank is a member of the large-scale consumer model. This includes the joint commitment to the federal government and the canton of Zurich to increase energy efficiency every year by two percent up until 2020.
Collaborative engagements by the Asset Management
The asset management of Zürcher Kantonalbank supports investor initiatives on ESG topics and performs collaborative engagements as part of its memberships, for example of the UN PRI.
Partnerships
To promote sustainability, we also support various organizations through partnerships (German).
International Initiatives
We are guided by the following international initiatives:
- UN Global Compact
- OECD Guidelines for MNE's