Switzerland is one of the leading countries for SRI in Europe. Swiss banks were among the first to offer SRI and to develop the necessary expertise. Consequently it was a Swiss company - the Swiss SAM Group Holding AG - that made a big step towards a broader perception of sustainable investments and formed together with Dow Jones Index the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
In the last years, there have been numerous releases of SRI products such as funds and certificates focusing on themes such as water, climate change and renewable energy / mobility. After the decrease experienced in 2008 due to the financial crisis, the Swiss SRI market has returned to the strong growth pattern observed in previous years.
Some facts about the Swiss market (based on data provided by onValues, as of 31/12/2009):
- SRI Market Size: €23 billion for Core SRI
- SRI Institutional Market Share: 45%
- Influential actors: financial services providers
- Leading Strategies: Best-in-Class, norms- and values-based exclusions, thematic funds
- Legal Milestones: 2002 disclosure regulation on active share ownership of pension funds
- SIF (yes/no): Yes, Sustainable Investment Forum FNG since 2001
For more information on the Swiss SRI market, please
- Visit onValues at www.onvalues.ch
- Visit the Sustainable Investment Forum for German speaking countries www.forum-ng.org
- Download the Swiss section of Eurosif European SRI Study 2010.
- Download the Sustainable Investments in Switzerland 2010 Study by FNG.
