With the BCs of Aargau, Bern, Graubünden and, most recently, Vaud, there are now eight banks and asset managers collaborating within the framework of shareholder dialogue.
Four additional cantonal banks (AKB, BCV, BEKB and GKB) have recently subscribed to the shareholder engagement services offered by Ethos. They join other establishments, banks but also asset managers, who have decided to work with Ethos in the field of shareholder dialogue with companies listed on the stock exchange on ESG themes.
More and more cantonal banks are trusting Ethos to support them in their shareholder dialogue processes with the companies included in the investment funds and the mandates they offer to their clients. The aim of this ongoing and constructive dialogue is to encourage companies to improve their environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.
In recent weeks, four new establishments have joined the list of “Ethos Engagement Services” clients. These are the cantonal banks of the cantons of Aargau (AKB), Bern (BEKB), Graubünden (GKB) and, most recently, Vaud (BCV). There are now eight banks and asset managers working with Ethos as part of the shareholder dialogue.
Shareholder engagement is today an integral part of a credible sustainable and responsible investment strategy, just like the exercise of voting rights at general meetings. It is one of the nine principles of active ownership that were identified in the “Swiss Stewardship Code”, a directive published in 2023 by the Asset Management Association (AMAS) and Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF).
Based on the principle that investors have a greater power of influence when they come together, Ethos has been offering a shareholder dialogue service to asset owners, and in particular to pension funds, since 2004. The Swiss Ethos Engagement Pool (EEP) has focused for 20 years on dialogue with the 150 largest Swiss companies listed on the stock exchange. It now has 189 members representing more than CHF 375 billion in assets under management.
In 2017, Ethos extended its dialogue activities to international companies with the creation of a new program – EEP International – which now has 117 members.
Finally, to respond to growing demand and contribute to increasing the influence of shareholders on ESG issues, Ethos decided in 2022 to expand its engagement services to banks and asset managers Without being direct members of the EEP ( reserved for provident institutions), the latter can thus benefit from the expertise of Ethos and numerous possible synergies with the engagement activities carried out through the two dialogue pools.
