• Engagement: a new campaign targets virtual AGMs in Germany

    Ethos, the members of the Ethos Engagement Pool International, its German partner DSW, Shareholders for Change and Better Finance, representing a total of more than EUR 350 billion in assets under management, are calling on the largest listed companies in Germany to stop holding virtual-only annual general meetings and to instead opt for a hybrid model in future.
  • Ethos and Clartan create a sharing fund to protect biodiversity

    Part of the management fees of a dedicated share class of the Clartan-Ethos ESG Europe Small & Mid Cap fund to finance the Association de la Vallée de la Millière. Created by the famous French photographer Yann Arthus Bertrand, this association aims to rewild a 28-hectare estate on the outskirts of Paris.
  • Ethos publishes a study on the sustainability reports of Swiss companies

    Ethos has analysed the sustainability reports of 140 companies listed in Switzerland that were required to submit their report to a shareholder vote. The results are clearly unsatisfactory as they reveal a wide disparity between companies and significant gaps in the published reports. Ethos therefore supports the Federal Council's plan to strengthen the legal requirements in this area.
  • Ethos launches its new sustainability training programmes

    What does sustainable development mean? What responsibilities does it entail for investors? What are the risks and opportunities for companies? What role can pension funds and their policyholders play? To answer these questions and many others, Ethos has developed its own training programme on sustainable finance. It will be divided into several modules, the first of which is now available online free of charge. In the future Ethos will also propose webinars and workshops on specific topics.
  • Climate reporting: Ethos solutions

    Thanks to the new reporting solutions offered by Ethos, investors can now quickly and easily produce sustainability reports that meet the latest transparency requirements, starting with the ASIP recommendations.

A Swiss foundation for
a sustainable development

The Ethos Foundation was created by and for Swiss pension funds, with the aim of enabling them to invest sustainably and responsibly.

Ethos Services, the operational arm of the Ethos Group, has developed a range of services entirely dedicated to socially responsible investment (SRI). These include sustainable investment funds and stock market indices, as well as a whole range of active ownership tools that enable investors, both institutional and private, to use their shareholder rights to encourage the companies they co-own to improve their environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.

Sustainable funds & indices

Ethos Services offers sustainable investment funds and stock market indices dedicated to governance.

Ethos offers its clients sustainable investment funds (equities, bonds, balanced) that are actively managed by partner banks, enabling them to invest according to a range of ESG criteria in addition to traditional financial criteria. At the same time, Ethos offers stock market indices dedicated to good governance, which reduce the weighting of, and therefore exposure to, companies that represent a risk in this area.

Services dedicated to active & responsible ownership

Proxy voting

The exercise of voting rights is a tool of choice for shareholders who wish to defend their interests over the long term and influence the companies in which they are co-owners.

Every year, Ethos issues voting recommendations for over 200 general meetings in Switzerland and 500 abroad. Ethos' analyses contain a detailed review of each item on the agenda, with voting recommendations based on Ethos' corporate governance principles and voting guidelines, which are reviewed and updated every year. They also present a range of information on the company in question, in particular regarding the composition of its board of directors and the remuneration of the governing bodies.

Company dialogue

Ethos' shareholder dialogue aims to encourage companies to improve their environmental, social and governance practices.

By grouping together in engagement pools such as those proposed by Ethos, and by taking part in collective engagement initiatives, investors have greater clout and therefore greater power of influence when it comes to discussions with the management bodies of the companies of which they are co-owners. For Ethos, the objective of shareholder dialogue is always to sustainably increase a company's value for its shareholders and all its stakeholders.

Sustainability analyses

Implementing sustainable and responsible management means taking into account companies' ESG criteria in investment strategies, as well as taking climate issues into account.

Ethos offers over 2'000 ESG analyses and ratings of listed companies and bond issuers. Swiss-listed companies included in the SPI index, companies included in the MSCI World ex-CH and MSCI EM indices, and issuers included in the Swiss Bond Index AAA-BBB are part of the analysis universe.

Climate analysis & reporting

The "Ethos climate transition ratings" methodology assesses the credibility of companies' climate transition plans and the impact of climate change on their activities.

For institutional investors, it's a way of measuring the alignment of their portfolios with climate objectives, and monitoring the exposure of their investments to climate risks. Thanks to this methodology, they also have a tool for engaging companies on climate issues. Finally, this methodology complements the reporting solutions offered by Ethos, whether for proxy voting services or engagement.

Training

Ethos offers several training modules on sustainability and socially responsible investment.

The Ethos Foundation offers pension fund representatives (boards of trustees, management and investment committees) the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of socially responsible investment and sustainable finance. The modular organisation of the course enables participants to acquire content at their own pace, according to their needs and prior knowledge.

Proxy voting

The exercise of voting rights is a tool of choice for shareholders who wish to defend their interests over the long term and influence the companies in which they are co-owners.

Every year, Ethos issues voting recommendations for over 200 general meetings in Switzerland and 500 abroad. Ethos' analyses contain a detailed review of each item on the agenda, with voting recommendations based on Ethos' corporate governance principles and voting guidelines, which are reviewed and updated every year. They also present a range of information on the company in question, in particular regarding the composition of its board of directors and the remuneration of the governing bodies.

Company dialogue

Ethos' shareholder dialogue aims to encourage companies to improve their environmental, social and governance practices.

By grouping together in engagement pools such as those proposed by Ethos, and by taking part in collective engagement initiatives, investors have greater clout and therefore greater power of influence when it comes to discussions with the management bodies of the companies of which they are co-owners. For Ethos, the objective of shareholder dialogue is always to sustainably increase a company's value for its shareholders and all its stakeholders.

Sustainability analyses

Implementing sustainable and responsible management means taking into account companies' ESG criteria in investment strategies, as well as taking climate issues into account.

Ethos offers over 2'000 ESG analyses and ratings of listed companies and bond issuers. Swiss-listed companies included in the SPI index, companies included in the MSCI World ex-CH and MSCI EM indices, and issuers included in the Swiss Bond Index AAA-BBB are part of the analysis universe.

Climate analysis & reporting

The "Ethos climate transition ratings" methodology assesses the credibility of companies' climate transition plans and the impact of climate change on their activities.

For institutional investors, it's a way of measuring the alignment of their portfolios with climate objectives, and monitoring the exposure of their investments to climate risks. Thanks to this methodology, they also have a tool for engaging companies on climate issues. Finally, this methodology complements the reporting solutions offered by Ethos, whether for proxy voting services or engagement.

Training

Ethos offers several training modules on sustainability and socially responsible investment.

The Ethos Foundation offers pension fund representatives (boards of trustees, management and investment committees) the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of socially responsible investment and sustainable finance. The modular organisation of the course enables participants to acquire content at their own pace, according to their needs and prior knowledge.

News & publications

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