UBS: Best Bank Sustainability Leadership Global 2019

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) developed by the United Nations provide a roadmap of the action that must be undertaken – now – to avert environmental catastrophe, and to protect the planet for generations to come. As one of the largest and most influential financial institutions in the world, Swiss bank UBS has put its shoulder to the wheel, and its capital heft behind the drive for a sustainable future. UBS prefers to lead by example, and the efforts it has made towards SDG research enables clients, collaborators, policymakers and peers to make informed decisions on the path towards the SDG goals. UBS offers its private, corporate, and institutional clients a range of opportunities for impact investing, enabling them to make a difference – while still getting the returns they expect. The bank focuses its sustainability efforts on finance, philanthropy, and community engagement, as well as establishing a business model for sustainable growth, responsible stewardship of resources, and expansive social contribution. It underpins its long-term success with educational and entrepreneurial support for the communities in which it operates. UBS initiatives include, as the tip of this iceberg, a social enterprise that allows cocoa farmers to stake their claim in the industry, an academy to prepare underprivileged students for university, and a non-profit programme that trains, equips, and pays locals to administer basic health care. UBS takes seriously its role as an architect of a sustainable future, and the CFI.co judging panel applauds its efforts. Congratulations to UBS, the 2019 winner of the award for Best Bank Sustainability Leadership (Global).