Objective 4: We are part of Society
The J. Safra Sarasin Group and its employees have a natural desire to make an active contribution to sustained social development. This can be done by entering into various commitments. It is important for the Group to uphold an ongoing dialogue with all its stakeholders. For business policy decisions made at corporate management level, management strives to take into account the interests of all stakeholders connected with the Group.
Sustainable Events and Procurement
Bank J. Safra Sarasin has developed and introduced a “Handbook of Sustainability” that includes standards for events and hospitality, donations and sponsorship, procurement and guidelines for suppliers. The handbook ensures that corporate activities do not support projects or partners whose values diverge from those of the J. Safra Sarasin Group. The principles set forth therein include, for example, minimum standards for the procurement of paper and wood products, as well as office equipment within the scope of building management and in the automotive segment.
Sustainability in Sponsoring
The Bank invests in its social environment by engaging in sponsoring partnerships. To ensure that these activities do not support projects or partners whose values diverge from those of the J. Safra Sarasin Group, the “Handbook of Sustainability” was extended to the entire Group. Philanthropy, art and sports are the main strategic focuses for the Group’s sponsoring activities.
Sustainability Commitments
For many years, J. Safra Sarasin has been actively involved in numerous initiatives and organisations which work for sustainable development. This is another way in which the Bank is fulfilling its responsibility to make a contribution to sustainable development. The Bank participates in political opinion forming via these initiatives and its membership in various organisations.
Bank J. Safra Sarasin is committed to various initiatives and plays a leading role in many, in order to foster the sustainability agenda. We live and breathe sustainability.
Founding Member or Signatory:
- UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investments (UN PRI)
- UN-supported Principles for Responsible Banking (UN PRB)
- Finance for Biodiversity Pledge
- Swiss Climate Foundation
- Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF)
- Swiss Finance Institute (SFI)
- We are Paris – The Paris Pledge for Action
Member/Signatory or Affiliation:
- CA100+: Climate Action 100+
- CDP Water Disclosure Project
- CDP: Carbon Disclosure Project
- Chemical Footprint Network
- ENAW: Energie-Agentur der Wirtschaft
- Eurosif: European Sustainable Investment Forum
- FNG: Forum für Nachhaltige Geldanlagen
- Global Footprint Network
- GRESB: Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark
- IIGCC: The institutional Investors Group on Climate Change
- NZAMI: Net-Zero Asset Managers Initiative
- öbu-Verband für nachhaltiges Wirtschaften
- SBTi: Science Based Targets Initiative - Committed
- SFG: Sustainable Finance Geneva
- ShareAction
- TCFD: Task Force for Climate-Related Disclosures
- UN Global Compact
- UNEP FI Responsible Property Investment (PWG)
- UNEP FI: United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative
Furthermore, we base the Sustainable Investment Policy on international conventions and norms, including:
- The United Nations Global Compact
- The OECD Principles of Corporate Governance
- The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
- The Children’s Rights and Business Principles
- The ILO conventions on labour standards
- The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
- The UN Convention on Corruption
- The Convention on Cluster Munitions