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.
