麻豆传媒在线

The Asset Management Association of Switzerland (AMAS) urges Swiss companies to adopt strong corporate governance and sustainability practices to align with international standards and contribute to a climate-neutral economy. This engagement is driven by Switzerland's commitments to the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050.

AMAS emphasizes the importance of active ownership and engagement with companies to achieve long-term financial, environmental, and societal value. In collaboration with Swiss Sustainable Finance, AMAS published the Swiss Stewardship Code in 2023, promoting corporate engagement to support sustainable outcomes.

The letter encourages AMAS members to engage with Swiss companies on a voluntary basis to help them meet international governance and sustainability standards. These standards include robust corporate governance, sustainability accountability at the board level, enhanced environmental disclosures (such as climate-related risks and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions), and the adoption of decarbonization strategies in line with the Paris Agreement.

AMAS expects companies to adopt a responsible business conduct framework, disclose their GHG emissions, and commit to science-based targets. Furthermore, companies should ensure a just transition, protecting human rights and worker livelihoods in their decarbonization plans.

While the letter is not legally binding, asset managers will review companies' progress annually and may take escalation actions, such as voting against company proposals, if engagement does not lead to satisfactory outcomes. Individual companies may be approached based on this engagement letter.

The letter has already been endorsed by the following asset managers:

• Baloise
• Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank
• BCV Banque Cantonale Vaudoise
• Graub眉ndner Kantonalbank
• Lombard Odier
• Pictet
• UBS
• Z眉rcher Kantonalbank

This demonstrates the strong industry support. To become an endorser of the Engagement Letter, kindly reach out to aurelia.faeh@am-switzerland.ch

AMAS now calls on all its members to incorporate these standards into their engagement practices, furthering the collective effort towards a sustainable and climate-neutral economy.

The "Swiss Stewardship Code" provides guidance for asset managers, asset owners and financial service providers. It was drawn up by the 麻豆传媒在线 and Swiss Sustainable Finance to promote the active exercise of shareholder rights by investors in Switzerland. Investor stewardship is fundamental to effective investing and to the promotion of sustainable enterprises.

Through sustainable investments, more and more investors in Switzerland are committed to making a significant contribution to achieving the sustainability targets set by the Federal Council, in the process positioning Switzerland as a leading hub for sustainable finance. Sustainable financial investments and services not only help reduce investment risks, but also positively support desired economic, societal and environmental changes. Investor stewardship, which requires active dialogue with companies and the exercising of investor voting rights, is a key approach for achieving this goal and is becoming increasingly important not just in Switzerland, but on an international level.

AMAS and SSF, supported by pension funds, asset managers and service providers, have responded by developing the Swiss Stewardship Code as the standard for the Swiss financial centre. The Code defines what contemporary investor stewardship entails and lays the foundation for more proactive exercising of shareholder voting rights by Swiss financial actors, as well as providing greater transparency and improved comparability.

Integrating stewardship into the investment processes of the Swiss investment industry promotes a more sustainable and value-enhancing economy, and also helps increase the long-term return for investors, adjusted for sustainability risks. The Code consequently makes an important contribution to the measures for a sustainable financial centre outlined by the Federal Council.

The Swiss Stewardship Code is applicable on a voluntary basis and serves as a recommendation and guidance for integrating stewardship into the investment process. The Code includes nine stewardship principles and describes the most important elements for effective and successful implementation. It is aligned with the Global Stewardship Principles of the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN), the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the UK Stewardship Code, which together set an international benchmark for investors鈥� stewardship activities.

The Swiss Stewardship Code is being endorsed by the proxy service advisory company as well as the