"ESG Financing for SMEs and Real Estate—Addressing Risk While Creating Value" was the theme of this year's SFI–SSF conference, held at the Lake Side in Zurich. Around 250 participants from academia and the finance community gathered together to analyze and discuss the implementation of ESG-related aspects of financing. The conference was opened by the two hosts, Sabine Döbeli, CEO of Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF), and Prof. François Degeorge, Managing Director of Swiss Finance Institute (SFI), in a brief interview moderated by Olivia Kinghorst. SFI Prof. Zacharias Sautner (SFI & UZH) then set the tone for the event, drawing on his recent SFI Public Discussion Note, The Value of ESG: Where and Why It Matters. Investment strategies that incorporate ESG criteria have recently been questioned, especially in the United States, and cynically termed "woke capitalism". Some of this skepticism is spreading to Europe. Prof. Sautner's presentation showed that this criticism of ESG investing largely stems from a misunderstanding of its aims and a lack of knowledge of how it can create financial value for investors. ESG risks constitute financially material investment risks that all institutional investors need to address in the investment process.

The first session of the conference focused on SMEs. Dr. Christian Hofer, Head of Sustainability, Political Affairs & Cooperative at Raiffeisen Switzerland, gave a presentation on the integration of ESG aspects into corporate finance and emphasized that sustainability is a necessity today. awp Finanznachrichten AG interviewed Dr. Hofer on this topic. Watch the full video, in German, here. 

SFI Prof. Julian Kölbel (SFI, UNISG, and MIT Sloan) followed, with an in-depth look at "Investor Impact across Asset Classes". The session was rounded off by Angélique Chatton, Head of Sustainability at Banque Cantonale Vaudoise (BCV), who spoke on "Sustainable Lending at BCV".
The second session, dedicated to real estate, featured SFI Prof. Roland Füss (SFI & UNISG), who spoke on "The Low Carbon Rent Premium of Residential Buildings", while Nicolas Di Maggio, CEO of Swiss Finance & Property AG, gave a presentation on "Swiss Indirect Real Estate—A Sustainable Investment Approach". The session concluded with a presentation by Elvira Bieri, CEO of SSREI AG, titled "Sustainable Valuation and the Role of Standards".

The conference culminated in the panel discussion "Risk Management to Real-World Impact", featuring Roman C. Ballmer, Head of Hedonic Products and Deputy CEO at IAZI AG, Matteo Bernardoni, Co-Head Client Needs, UBS Personal & Corporate Banking, Sabine Döbeli, CEO of SSF, and Dr. Jürg de Spindler, CEO of the Association of Swiss Regional Banks. The day ended with an aperitif, offering attendees a chance to network and discuss the insights shared throughout the Conference.