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Interview of the month: Sam Sambuila from Impact Eco Group

This month, Sam Sambuila, President of Impact Eco Group, shared with us in an interview the organization’s commitment to addressing the pressing environmental and development challenges in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Blessed and cursed at the same time by a huge wealth of natural resources, the DRC faces significant issues such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, and corruption - all affecting the well-being for local communities. Sam highlights the organisation’s multi-sectored initiatives, including sustainable agriculture and mining projects, but also its partnerships with academic institutions in Europe to facilitate local capacity building and promote ethical financial practices. Today, Impact Eco Group is part of the new wave of change-makers pushing for more transparent investment climate through anti-corruption training and sustainable finance advocacy in the DRC.

Preventing greenwashing in the Swiss financial sector: latest developments

Greenwashing is seen, both in Switzerland and abroad, as a major risk to the implementation of effective sustainability policies. Efforts to combat greenwashing are therefore intensifying. Among the most recent developments occurred in Switzerland, this paper covers the Federal Council's decision of October 2023 to regulate by ordinance its strategy for combating greenwashing and the guideline published last December by the Swiss Commission for Fair Trading on green marketing.

Annual Report 2023

Our 2023 Annual Report is now available and we are looking forward to your reading. It regroups all the essential information and highlights the key events that took place at SFG in 2023.

Interview of the Month : SIF

In November, the Federal Council published a position on greenwashing.  In the position, they stated more needs to be done to ensure there is common understanding about the criteria needed to label a financial product sustainable.  We sat down with Christoph Baumann, Envoy for Sustainable Finance at SIF, and Eszter Major, Lawyer at SIF, to learn more about how SIF will take the greenwashing position forward and other initiatives they have underway to enhance the sustainability of the Swiss financial centre.

Key Takeaways from Building Bridges 2023

Another edition of Building Bridges has come and gone and as the movement grows so too does the quality and diversity of the dialogue that happens within the conference program. This year, SFG strove to bring unique, forward-thinking topics to the agenda. Here are three key takeaways from each of our main events.

Sustainable investments by Swiss pension funds: where do we stand?

The Federal Council confirmed in its report of August 30, 2023 that Swiss law neither prohibits nor prevents pension funds to implement sustainable investment strategies. As a result, in response to a parliamentary postulate calling for a revision of the law, the Swiss government concluded that the existing framework is sufficient. This contribution will present the conclusions of the report and discuss some (still) pending issues.

Interview of the Month : TNFD

After the 2015 Paris Agreement, the TCFD was established to improve climate-related financial reporting. It aimed to provide comprehensive information about climate impacts, risks, and opportunities. Similarly, the TNFD offers guidance on nature-related risks and opportunities. We interviewed the UN Global Compact Network for Switzerland and Liechtenstein on the occasion of the TNFD's newly published recommendations.

Launching Sustainable Finance Geneva Map

We are pleased to announce the official launch of our Sustainable Finance Geneva Map. This interactive tool maps over 250 organizations working to advance sustainable finance in Geneva and the broader Romandie. We believe it is crucial for Geneva to further strengthen its position as a key sustainable finance centre globally and this map is a crucial tool in fostering a strong, united community.

Launching the Peace Finance Hub

We are pleased to announce the official launch of our Peace Finance Hub at SFG. This comprehensive tool is crafted to enrich your understanding of the intricacies associated with promoting peace finance. The dashboard provides valuable insights and practical knowledge to empower you to take proactive steps towards engaging in meaningful actions in this field.

Interview of the Month : Alexandre de Senarclens

Published in the form of a personal contribution co-authored with Hristina Stoyanova, Alexandre de Senarclens revisits for SFG the article he wrote last June for the newspaper Le Temps. Here, he proposes an amendment to OPP2 aimed at encouraging pension funds to adopt more sustainable investments. In this interview, we explore these issues, as well as the wider dynamic between the political and financial worlds.

Launching Gender Finance Hub

We are pleased to announce the official launch of our Gender Dashboard at SFG. This comprehensive tool is designed to enhance your comprehension of the complexities associated with attaining gender equality and the concept of gender lens investing. The dashboard furnishes valuable insights and practical knowledge to empower you to proactively engage in meaningful actions in this field.

SFG Summer Book Recommendation List 2023

Escape into the realm of books this summer with our curated selection of captivating reads. From fiction novels to thought-provoking non-fiction, our book recommendations will not only entertain you but also explore various sustainability subjects in a pleasant and engaging manner! Happy Summer!

Integration of clients' ESG preferences into investment advice and portfolio management: overview of the new Guidelines of the Swiss Bankers Association (Part I)

On January 1, 2023, the new "Guidelines for the financial service providers on the integration of ESG-preferences and ESG-risks into investment advice and portfolio management" from the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) came into force. Transitional periods apply to enable the financial institutions concerned to implement these new rules into their processes. This paper provides a preliminary overview of the main features of the SBA Guidelines.

Interview on the Month : The 13th World Chambers Congress 

This month, we interviewed Vincent Subilia, Director General of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services (CCIG), about the incoming 13th World Chambers Congress in Geneva, the biggest global platform for chamber leaders and professionals to exchange ideas, network, learn about innovation, and tackle current business issues affecting their communities. He explains its relevance and the importance of sustainability issues for businesses in Geneva and globally.

Interview of the Month: Climate Fresk

This month, we sat down with professional facilitators, Marina Protopopoff and Julien Zory, who are helping our members understand the fundamental science of climate change and biodiversity.  They told us more about the Climate Fresk movement and how it's changing the way people understand and interact with the biggest challenges of our time.

Findings from the latest Equileap Report

Every year Equileap publishes its Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking, which analyses 3,787 public companies around the world based on 19 gender equality criteria.  We took the liberty of compiling the key findings globally and in Switzerland. Read now

Impact Measurement: between Solutions and Challenges

This month, we interviewed Tom Adams, co-founder and chief strategy officer at 60 Decibels, a company that specializes in data collection for impact measurement. He helps us to understand the complex world of impact measurement by debunking old persistent myths and he is providing us with solutions to truly modernize our impact measurement practices.

Swiss Federal Council Reports on Sustainable Finance

Oberson Abels briefly explains the two recent documents published by the Swiss Federal Council intended to give an update on the progress made in the past few years in sustainable finance and to highlight some forthcoming developments. The Council presents ways to fight greenwashing and highlights 15 measures to be implemented from now until 2025 to further consolidate Switzerland's position to play a leading role in sustainable finance.

Event Summary: State of Finance for Nature

On December 6, we were pleased to host another Ideas for Breakfast event. This time, we had the opportunity to have as guests the UN Environment Program (UNEP) Team so they could impact for our members their new State of Finance for Nature report they just released.

What to Expect at COP15 on Biodiversity and the Role of Private Finance

This month, we interviewed Ivo Mulder, Head of the Climate Finance Unit at UN Environment Programme. He shed light on the many opportunities that nature finance presents, the evolving world of nature-related risk disclosure, and the private finance industry’s levers in preserving and restoring biodiversity, including some specific ideas for Geneva-based actors.

Innovation in Health Finance

This month, we had the chance to talk with Pradeep Kakkattil, Co-Founder Health Innovation Exchange. Mr. Kakkattil touched on the critical role the private sector and private financing can play in scaling access to healthcare and saving lives. The COVID-19 pandemic showed us how fragile and vulnerable how health care systems were, thus emphasizing the need for more resilitent systems to ensure our economic development and future are not imperiled. 

Nature Finance: the Next Wave

This month we spoke with Dr. Simon Zadek, soon to be the first Executive Director of NatureFinance. Core to our discussion was how best to scale market-shaping policies, innovation, and citizen action to make nature count in global finance. We also discussed how the unique Geneva and Swiss ecosystems are creating a global centre of excellence in nature finance. 

La Genève internationale et l’urgence climatique

Secrétaire général de l’organisation mondiale de la météorologie OMM de 2004 à 2015, Michel Jarraud est l’auteur du rapport « La Genève internationale et l’urgence climatique ». Dans l'interview de ce mois-ci, il partage les conclusions de cette nouvelle publication et son point de vue sur la manière d'accélérer l'action climatique.

Open Innovation for Sustainable Finance

The dates of the Sustainable Finance Hackathon 2022 were recently announced so we took the opportunity to sit down with Thomas Maillart, the President of Open Geneva to learn more about how we can leverage open innovation to advance sustainable finance and to explore how the SFG community can participate in their upcoming Hackathon!

La Genève International – État des lieux 2022

La fondation pour Genève vient de publier son dernier rapport sur l’état des lieux de la Genève internationale. Dans ce rapport, Michel Jarraud, a analysé l’écosystème genevois afin de souligner les forces et les faiblesses du pôle genevois et d’en tirer un ensemble de recommandations.

Meet Our New President

SFG's General Assembly saw the election of our New President, Marie-Laure Schaufelberger. In our Interview of the Month, we ask Marie-Laure about her vision for the organization and the unique role SFG plays in advancing a sustainable future.

Meet GLIS' New Vice President - Sarah Djari

Sarah Djari is the new Vice President of the Gender Lens Initiative for Switzerland. She is an accomplished impact investor with practical experience in applying a gender lens to financial product creation. Get to know her and her views on the importance of gender lens investing.

Overcoming Barriers to Scaling Impact

Impact finance continues to gain traction but challenges still exist that prevent it from meetings its full potential. Patrick Elmer, the CEO of iGravity, sat down with us to discuss unique investment solutions and how tackling key barriers through novel solutions can drive capital to the SDGs.

Meet our Community Manager

SFG is proud to announce the arrival of our new Community Manager, Kali Taylor. Kali started her position on January 15 and has already hit the ground running. Here’s everything you need to know about her and what she will be doing to support SFG members and stakeholders.

Comment la finance contribue à la paix

Une obligation pour la paix sera lancée début 2022 de Genève. Ce «peace bond» veut financer des projets économiquement viables dans les pays les plus fragiles de la planète, en offrant un rendement attractif aux investisseurs.

Building Bridges: les temps forts du sommet

Building Bridges, le grand rendez-vous de la finance durable s'est terminé vendredi. Son président, Patrick Odier, a ouvert lundi le sommet à la Maison de la Paix, à Genève, en présence du conseiller fédéral Ueli Maurer et de la présidente du Groupe des Nations unies pour le développement durable, Amina Mohammed.

Libérer la liquidité

Les actifs privés sont réservés aux investisseurs qualifiés. Un frein considérable à l’investissement d’impact. La solution de Guillaume Bonnel de Credit Suisse.

Investir dans l'égalité hommes-femmes: mode d'emploi

La moitié de la population mondiale est délaissée par les investisseurs, qui continuent à considérer les femmes comme une niche. Comment débloquer cette situation, selon des pistes proposées dans le cadre de Building Bridges Week, la série d'événements consacrés à la finance durable organisée à Genève.

Climate responsibility goes beyond nine-to-five job

The finance community and world at large need to go beyond their nine-to-five job and take individual responsibility in making the planet a more sustainable place, the United Nations’ deputy secretary general Amina Mohammed urged at the Building Bridges summit on Monday.

'It’s time to widen the lens of sustainable finance'

The UN climate conference in Glasgow brought fresh commitments from financial institutions to align investments with the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change. However, if unaccompanied by investments to improve the lives of people around the world, the effort may be doomed from the start.

Un momentum vertueux

«Building Bridges ne sera un succès que si les évènements organisés sont pertinents et aboutissent à des résultats concrets». Entretien avec Patrick Odier, président de Building Bridges.

SFG’s Leading Lady Rehashes Geneva’s Defeat

Why did Geneva lose the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) bid to Frankfurt? High hopes that the body—considered key to the future of sustainable finance—were dashed, when the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation (IFRS) settled on Germany as its final choice.

Market news

France took a new and historic step on its journey to SDG5 in May 2021, when its legislator, the National Assembly, unanimously voted in favour of quotas for women in business leadership roles...

SFG et SSF unissent leurs forces

La finance durable prend de l’ampleur en Suisse. Les acteurs principaux (banques et institutions financières) manifestent un intérêt croissant dans le domaine et de plus en plus d’actions concrètes sont menées en renforcement d’une place financière suisse, durable.

Le monde change la finance innove

Convaincu que la finance de demain se prépare aujourd’hui, Sustainable Finance Geneva (SFG) présente dans un livre 60 innovations financières face à 10 changements globaux pour promouvoir la finance durable.

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