Today’s investment decisions, for example concerning energy supply, will also determine the quantity of greenhouse gases that will be emitted in the future. In the 2015 Paris Agreement, the international community set three main objectives, including making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development. This means that in the future, more money will be invested in environmentally friendly and future-oriented technologies and energy sources, and less in greenhouse gas-intensive technologies and energy sources. As a signatory to the Paris Agreement, Switzerland is committed to this objective.
Today's investment behavior not only provides considerable finance for coal and oil production, but also for its further expansion. This is in direct opposition to climate targets. The broad participation of insurance companies, pension funds, banks and asset managers in voluntary climate compatibility tests suggests that climate awareness within the Swiss financial sector is steadily growing.
Finance flows include assets under management in Switzerland. At the end of 2019, these totalled just under CHF 7,000 billion. They come, for example, from private savings deposits at banks, insurance capital, and savings in pension funds and Old Age and Survivors Insurance. It is in the interest of savers and pension schemes for financial institutions and institutional investors to invest money in the most profitable funds possible. If the way in which investment and financing affect the climate is made transparent, everybody will be able to make knowledgeable, climate-relevant decisions.
FOEN invites all Swiss pension funds, insurance companies, banks and asset managers to participate in the PACTA Climate Test 2022.
The climate test allows comparable transparency across the different financial sectors and supports concrete, climate-relevant action. Registration is open from 1 March 2022 until 31 May 2022, with results expected in autumn. More information can be found at the following website:
Here you can find the results report on the PACTA 2020 climate alignment test for the Swiss financial market. A summary of the report is also available in German and French.
Bridging the Gap: Measuring progress on the climate goal alignment and climate actions of Swiss Financial Institutions (PDF, 12 MB, 09.11.2020)2° Investing Initiative, Wüest Partner, 2020. Supported by the FOEN
PACTA 2020: Kapitel zur Klimaverträglichkeit von Immobilien- und Hypothekenportfolien (PDF, 1 MB, 09.11.2020)Im Auftrag des BAFU (in German)
Further information
News
Documents
Wie kann die Schweiz die Finanzmittelflüsse klimaverträglich ausrichten? (PDF, 1 MB, 17.11.2021)Bericht des Bundesrates in Erfüllung des Postulates 19.3966 der Kommission für Umwelt, Raumplanung und Energie des Ständerats UREK-S vom 16. August 2019
Methodenbericht zum Modell für die Abschätzung der Klimaverträglichkeit von Immobilienanlagen (CO2-Rechner) (PDF, 1 MB, 10.07.2020)Schlussbericht. Im Auftrag des BAFU
Out of the fog: Quantifying the alignment of Swiss pension funds and insurances with the Paris Agreement (PDF, 1 MB, 23.10.2017)2° Investing Initiative, 2017. Supported by the FOEN
Climate-friendly investment strategies and performance - Summary (PDF, 501 kB, 08.11.2016)Commissioned by the FOEN
Kohlenstoffrisiken für den Finanzplatz Schweiz (PDF, 1 MB, 23.10.2015)CSSP – Center for Social and Sustainable Products; South Pole Group, im Auftrag des BAFU
Trails for Climate Disclosure – a regulatory review (PDF, 2 MB, 08.11.2016)2°Investiting Initiative, supported by FOEN, 2016
Measuring Progress on Greening Financial Markets (PDF, 1 MB, 10.06.2016)2°Investiting Initiative, supported by FOEN, 2016
Links
Law
Parliamentary proceedings
Last modification 22.03.2022
