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Socially responsible investing

SRI at BCV

We guide customers towards investments that incorporate ESG criteria and endeavor to bring portfolios into line with the goals of the Paris Agreement, the Swiss government, and the Vaud climate plan. Our ambition is to be a leading provider of socially responsible investments not only in Vaud Canton but across Switzerland as a whole.

Strategic focus

We’re committed to working for the sustainable development of society, and we act on this commitment through our SRI policy, local partnerships, and participation in various external initiatives.

Broad implementation

We are gradually implementing our SRI policy across our various investment product ranges for individual and institutional clients.

Transparency

We keep our clients up to date on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and the ESG implications of their investments through our client advisors, who receive ongoing training in SRI.

Our methodology

We use the following SRI approaches to incorporate sustainability factors into our investment selection and management processes:

We use in-house analyses to conduct negative screening, where we exclude companies whose activities do not comply with regulations or whose practices we deem incompatible with our SRI approach.

We integrate ESG risks and opportunities into traditional financial analysis and investment decisions, drawing on carefully chosen information sources.

We base our investment decisions on quantitative ESG scores or metrics, with the aim of favoring companies that meet high ESG standards in various areas. This is done in two different ways:

Positive screening: we select companies with good ESG scores or indicators in order to build a portfolio with an ESG score or indicator higher than that of the benchmark.
Best-in-class selection: we select companies that outperform their peers on ESG metrics with respect to a given threshold.

We invest in companies that provide solutions to environmental issues (such as renewable energy and energy efficiency) or social issues (such as education, healthcare, and poverty reduction), in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

We exercise our shareholder voting rights in order to encourage companies to improve their ESG-related practices, as well as to protect our investors’ capital over the long term. In our view, this approach can be a major driver of positive change in the overall direction of a company.

At the general meetings of both Swiss and non-Swiss companies, our ballot decisions are based on proxy voting recommendations provided by our partner Ethos. Today, we exercise our voting rights for companies whose stocks are held by 16 investment funds representing total assets of some CHF 3.8bn.

In addition, we conduct dialogue with companies to encourage them to apply ESG criteria in their spheres of influence. We do this through Ethos’s shareholder engagement services, which extend to both Swiss and international companie (see news release). BCV has also been a signatory to the investor-led initiative Climate Action 100+ since 2023.

Understanding key SRI concepts

Glossary of terms (in French only)

SRI

Socially responsible investing (SRI) is a part of sustainable finance. It refers to the practice of integrating ESG criteria in investment decisions, with the aim of generating attractive long-term returns while supporting the sustainable development of society.

ESG

In the financial sector, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are used to analyze potential investments from a non-financial standpoint. These criteria now underpin SRI.

ODD

Les Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU sont au nombre de 169 et recouvrant 17 thématiques. Ils visent à répondre aux défis mondiaux à l’horizon 2030, notamment ceux liés à la pauvreté, au changement climatique, à la dégradation de l’environnement, à la paix et à la justice.

WE AIM TO OFFER OUR CLIENTS A WIDE RANGE OF RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT SOLUTIONS IN LINE WITH BEST MARKET PRACTICE WHILE GENERATING COMPETITIVE RETURNS OVER THE LONG TERM.

Our products

Standard range

Investment decisions are made based primarily on financial objectives, and SRI constraints are not systematically taken into account. However, ESG criteria may be factored in if it is in the investor’s interest to do so.

ESG range

ESG criteria are integrated into the investment process and play a role in investment decisions, with the aim of improving the risk management of portfolios over the long term.

ESG Ambition range

With these products, we apply the same approach as for the ESG range but go one step further – we allocate part of the assets to investments that will help drive positive change in the economy, society, and the environment.

Climate targets

In our role as an asset manager, we want to contribute to achieving the target of net-zero emissions by 2050. Accordingly, we are aiming to have 28% of our assets under discretionary management aligned with the target of net zero emissions by 2050. Discretionary management solutions consist of investment funds (asset allocation funds, BCV Pension funds, and targeted funds) and discretionary asset management agreements with institutional and personal banking clients.

Compared to 2022 levels, that entails reducing the carbon footprint of those assets (measured in kg tCO2e/m2) by:

-50%

bye 2030

-90%

bye 2040

-100%

bye 2050

We are aiming to gradually expand our portfolio of assets under management following this trajectory.

Our success in achieving these targets depends largely on factors beyond our control. Our 2024 Sustainability Report contains more information on our climate targets, along with important legal information.

Our partnerships

Ethos
We have entered into a partnership with Ethos Foundation a leading Swiss SRI specialist, to create a center of expertise in sustainable finance in Switzerland. Under the partnership, a range of funds covering the main asset classes is managed by BCV Asset Management and advised by Ethos.

University of Lausanne
We have a partnership with the University of Lausanne to promote research on the integration of ESG criteria into real-estate investments in Switzerland. This partnership has led to the publication of various studies on the topic.

UNPRI
We are a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI), which seek to promote a sustainable financial system.

SSF
We are a member of Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF), which aims to strengthen Switzerland’s position as a hub for sustainable finance.

PACTA
We voluntarily take part in the Paris Agreement Capital Transition Assessment (PACTA) climate compatibility test. We use PACTA to test a number of portfolios representative of our management approach.

Climate Action 100+
We take part in Climate Action 100+, an investor-led initiative to encourage the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters to take necessary action on climate change.

File also available in: Allemand

Contact

info.rse@bcv.ch

Other legal information

Please read our website and email Terms and Conditions before using our website or contacting us by email.

Socially responsible investing

La RSE à la BCV c'est

SRI at BCV

Methodology

Product ranges

Climate targets

Partnerships

La RSE à la BCV c'est

SRI at BCV

Methodology

Product ranges

Climate targets

Partnerships