Sustainable Finance in Switzerland: Where Do We Stand?

Sustainable finance has been attracting increasing attention in recent years. In this White Paper, the authors take stock of sustainable finance in Switzerland. They characterize potential drivers of sustainability and also discuss business interests and challenges related to incorporating sustainability considerations into the activities of Swiss financial sector players. Their analysis suggests that, apart from a range of specialized institutions and initiatives, the Swiss financial sector as a whole is currently not an international leader in terms of sustainable finance. An important implication of their study is that more high-level endorsement, leadership, and decisive action by all the major players of the Swiss financial sector is needed in order to strengthen Switzerland’s international position in the sustainable finance world.