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Sustainability

Successful business activities aligned with social and environmental responsibility.

Sustainability

Overview

Sustainability policy

We are fully committed to our sustainability principles. Our aim is to ensure that our business activities are aligned with our social and environmental responsibility. This objective is integral to Zürcher Kantonalbank's public service mandate and incorporated into our sustainability policy.

Our sustainibility policy in detail (PDF, 145 KB)

Sustainability objectives

We aim to continuously improve the social and environmental impact of our business activities through our sustainability objectives. We assess our achievements on a yearly basis and display the results in our sustainability report.

Go to report

Products

Sustainability research

Since 1996 a specialised team of analysts has been assigning ratings to equities and bonds according to ecological and social criteria. A thorough screening process is used to identify the best investment opportunities in terms of sustainability.

The equity analysis focuses on sector leaders and innovators who stand out in terms of their sustainability management and performance or in regards of a substantial environmental or social benefit of their product.

The sustainable bond universe comprises different groups of bond issuers such as governments, companies, etc.

Exclusion criteria are defined on an on-going basis to avoid the most prevalent global environmental issues and major societal risk factors.

Sustainable
Socially Responsible Investments – Montreal Pledge

Environmentalism

The climate-friendly use of resources is part of our legally stipulated public service mandate. We aim to systematically reduce our CO2 emissions and continuously improve our environmental performance.

Environmental management system

Since 2002, our environmental management system is certified according to the international standards of ISO 14001. The certification demonstrates our consistent implementation of the required standards and the increase in resource efficiency.

SQS environmental management system certificate (PDF, 196 KB)

Operational environmental targets

We aim to continuously lower the CO2 emissions of our banking operations. Since 2010, we have managed to reduce our emissions by half. The remaining emissions are compensated by 100%.

For details, take a look at our corporate environmental programm 2018 - 2022.

 

 

Partners

Through our partnerships and various memberships in associations and organisations, we are working to promote greater sustainability in the economy, while fulfilling the expectations of our stakeholders.

 

Partnership

Center for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CCRS)
  • Zürcher Kantonalbank is partner of the Center for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CCRS) of the University of Zurich.
  • Zürcher Kantonalbank supports the research areas "Sustainable real estate", "Financial performance" and "Sustainable corporate management".
Mobility cooperative
  • Zürcher Kantonalbank has been a client of Mobility-Business Carsharing for a long time.
  • In 2017 the bank extended the partnership with Mobility and stationed two electric cars in our headquarter.
  • Over 200 employees of Zürcher Kantonalbank make use of the Mobility-Cars for business meetings.

Membership

Montréal 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.
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.
UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP 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.
     
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.
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.
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.
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.
Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF)
  • Zürcher Kantonalbank is a member of Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF).
  • 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.
Öbu
  • Zürcher Kantonalbank is a long-standing member of Obü.
  • The goal of Obü is to promote the further development of the Swiss economy according to the principles of sustainability.
  • Obü is a partner of the SME Award of Zürcher Kantonalbank.

Report on Public Service Mandate 2022

We pursue a business policy focused on sustainability and continuity. Read our report on the public service mandate for 2022.

Report on the public service mandate 2022
Report on Public Service Mandate 2022

Reporting

Find out more in our report with reference to the GRI Standards

Download
© Zürcher Kantonalbank 2022