Robert de Guigné
Group Head of Sustainability
Sustainability at UBP
As an asset and wealth manager, we put future generations at the heart of our decision-making. Inspired by this long-term vision, sustainability has become a growing consideration for all our activities.
Embedding sustainability
Our rationale
Our driving force is our conviction that, to best serve our clients, employees, and society as a whole, environmental and social considerations must be increasingly integrated both into our investment advice and decisions and into our own operations.
"Only by applying environmental, social, and governance criteria, not just to our investments but also to ourselves as a bank, can we realise the long-term vision on which UBP is built and make sure that our clients are well equipped for the financial market conditions of the future."
Our approach
We consider sustainability from two sides: our investments and our operational activities. Within those two areas, we have identified five strategic themes that are key for our long-term success.
Five strategic themes
- Investing with our clients
We continuously enhance our responsible investment approach and offering - Managing our environmental impact
We consider the environmental impact of our operations and our investments - Inspiring our people
We strive to foster a fair and empowering working environment - Engaging with our communities
We give back through social, environmental and cultural activities - Doing business responsibly
We conduct our business in line with ethical and sustainability principles
Our governance
A dedicated governance structure underpins our approach and ensures strategic oversight as well as well-informed and timely decision-making.
In addition, the Group Risk Committee reviews the Bank’s risk profile and sustainability risk reports monthly.
To ensure strategic oversight, UBP’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors receive quarterly sustainability updates.
With two steering committees, dedicated to investment and operational issues respectively, senior executives get together for strategic decision-making on key sustainability matters.
This committee monitors how we implement sustainability in our investment processes. It designs responsible investment principles and policies and monitors ESG developments.
This committee is responsible for defining, implementing, and monitoring UBP’s approach to sustainability in its own operations such as environmental measures, employee matters and community engagement.
Responsible investing
At UBP, we see a strong financial rationale for responsible investing. Protecting and growing our clients’ wealth now and for future generations is our first and foremost duty. This means that we must consider all factors that can affect the resilience and robustness of portfolios.
We also have a responsibility, as a financial institution, to contribute to the transition towards sustainability finance which requires a significant shift in financial flows towards the new economy.
Finally, as we strive to conduct business responsibly and in compliance with regulations, the proliferation of sustainable finance regulations is an additional driving force for embedding sustainability within UBP.
A changing investment landscape
Natural disasters, resource scarcity and other environmental pressures, together with changes in society, regulations, and consumer preferences, are increasingly affecting the profitability and viability of businesses, driving companies to adjust their business models and practices.
Our investment advice and decisions must reflect how investee companies deal with the risks and opportunities that the transition creates. This requires us to consider three elements:
- Financial factors, to evaluate the likelihood of profit generation
- Business practices, to assess how sustainability risks affect investees’ physical and intangible assets, and
- Business models, to consider investees’ long-term viability
Our dedicated pages on responsible investment for Asset Management and Wealth Management give more details on their respective rationales, approaches, and offering.
CSR
We are also committed to managing our direct impact as a business in a responsible manner. Our CSR approach focuses on environmental measures, talent management and working conditions, and community engagement and sponsorships.
Managing our environmental impact
Lowering our operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is the main priority in our environmental management approach. We have committed to a 25% reduction in the carbon footprint of our operations by 2025 compared with 2019 levels. This target covers our operational Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
We focus on the main drivers of our carbon footprint to help us reach this goal.
This includes purchasing renewable energy and enhancing energy efficiency. In addition to installing LED lighting and switching off heating and cooling systems, computers, and other appliances outside office hours, we are refurbishing one of our main offices in Geneva and moving to more energy-efficient buildings when leases expire.
We have a strict approval process for non-client travel and restrictions on air travel. We also promote responsible business travel through awareness-raising measures.
We encourage sustainable commuting solutions and offer employees the possibility to work from home one day per week.
Our 2023 environmental KPIs
99% share of renewable electricity
(including renewable energy certificates where renewable electricity is not available)
70% share of renewable energy
Total GHG emissions by Scope in tonnes
While we aim to achieve an ongoing reduction in our carbon footprint, we have been offsetting our remaining emissions at Group level since 2020.
Talent management and working conditions
As a people-driven business, our workforce is key to our continued success. We strive to provide an attractive work environment and continuous opportunities for learning and development.
Learning and development
We offer a range of internal e-learning programmes as well as talent and leadership development programmes, and we support employees in completing external courses. As sustainability knowledge becomes increasingly important, this includes growing our offering for sustainability-related trainings.
Training the next generation
We have a long tradition of supporting young talent through our apprenticeship and internship programmes. In 2021, we introduced an additional one – the Graduate Programme – which offers talented university graduates the opportunity to start their careers at UBP. Learn more about our different programme
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
We are guided by a culture of meritocracy and are dedicated to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace that embraces diversity in all its forms so that employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential.
Community engagement and sponsorships
UBP has always placed great emphasis on engaging with and supporting its local communities and we have a long tradition of supporting cultural, educational, research and social projects in the locations in which we operate.
We also encourage employees to support and join in community action which the Bank organises in partnership with various local charities and NGOs. This ranges from tree-planting and clean-up days to goods donations and support for educational projects.
Collaborating for change
Building a sustainable financial system requires a multi-stakeholder effort. UBP has formed powerful partnerships, taken on a range of strategic commitments, and become a signatory or member of several leading global and local initiatives, associations, and institutions.
"In my opinion, sustainability is about finding ways to carry on operating, developing and innovating in ways that create a healthy environment in which nature can thrive and the next generations prosper. At UBP, this means adopting a pragmatic, patient, and professional approach to anticipating risks and opportunities, and convincing all stakeholders of the importance of striving for that."
The Management Team
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Karine Jesiolowski
Head of Responsible Investment AM
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Nicolas Barben
Global Head of ESG Solutions
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SwitzerlandNikolett Kovacs
Head of CSR
18.12.2024
Building Bridges battles sustainable finance headwinds
From 9–12 December, Building Bridges attracted over 3,000 professionals from banks, insurance companies, big corporations, governments, international organisations, NGOs and academia for more than 70 plenary sessions, discussions, and workshops. Combined with over 6,000 viewers online, attendance at the 2024 edition of Switzerland’s leading sustainable finance event reached a record high.
10.12.2024
From regulation to innovation: the dynamic universe of biodiversity investments
In the three years since the launch of our biodiversity strategy, the investment landscape has undergone significant transformations, particularly in the realm of biodiversity and nature finance.
18.11.2024
COP29: will AI be mentioned in the final text?
Artificial intelligence has been discussed at previous climate conferences: as early as 2021 in Glasgow, there were discussions about both the benefits of AI, and the probable need for additional resources to power it.
28.08.2024
Summer wellness programme at UBP Hong Kong
Our CSR Team in Hong Kong organised a “Summer of Wellness” programme for colleagues – an initiative that demonstrates UBP's commitment to fostering a culture of health and well-being, not only within the organisation but also in the local community.
25.08.2024
The cost of transition: what are the implications of tariffs?
In a bid to preserve their own industries and reduce their dependency on China, the US and EU recently raised trade barriers against Chinese companies, sparking concerns about the cost and pace of the West’s energy transition. The debate is complex, and environmental and social externalities are a crucial part of it.
22.07.2024
First half-year results 2024
Union Bancaire Privée’s net profit rises by 24.6% to CHF 138.1 million
12.07.2024
Sustainability: an increasingly important consideration for wealth management
In early 2023, Nicolas Barben was appointed UBP’s Group Head of ESG Solutions within the Wealth Management division. We spoke to him about the role of regulation, the evolution of client interest in sustainability, and the performance of sustainable solutions, as well as his top priorities.
09.07.2024
New White Paper covers shareholder voting on remuneration
Research confirms that companies that do not embed sustainability targets into executive remuneration strategies struggle to motivate executives to adopt sustainable practices, leading to misalignment with societal expectations and stakeholder interests.
05.07.2024
UBP lays the foundations of a pragmatic sustainability offering
UBP’s Head of Sustainability, Robert de Guigné, reflects on UBP’s progress in advancing the sustainability agenda since his arrival in August 2022, and outlines what’s next for the Bank as the sustainable finance agenda evolves rapidly in and beyond Switzerland.