Our approach

We are harnessing the potential of people and capital to create a more sustainable future

Cooperating for a brighter future

We all have a role to play in securing a more sustainable world. At UBS, we believe the power of people and capital can create a fairer society, a more prosperous economy and a healthier environment. That is why we are partnering with our clients to help them mobilize their capital toward a more sustainable tomorrow.

Our ambition

We aim to be the financial provider of choice for clients that wish to mobilize capital toward achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (the SDGs) and the orderly transition to a low carbon economy. We are focusing on three areas to achieve it: Planet, People and Partnerships.

Planet

Everyone has a part to play in protecting our planet. That’s why we are committed to creating solutions for our clients and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of our own operations to help secure a low carbon future.

Preserving the planet

The shift to a lower-carbon future is a key priority of our sustainability strategy. We recognise that our clients need to manage the risks arising from climate change and the loss of biodiversity. At the same time, the transition to a low carbon economy presents consequential opportunities, which we intend to identify and support.

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People

We are dedicated to being a place where people can unlock their full potential and social impact continues to be a strong differentiator, with its activities underpinning our sustainability and impact strategy.

Social Impact

Our vision is to contribute to and scale an impact economy that values the wellbeing of all people and the planet. This means building partnerships that drive greater impact transparency, more impact ventures and innovative ways of financing and paying for impact. By 2025, we aim to mobilize USD 1 billion in philanthropic capital and reach over 26 million people.

Philanthropy impact with a smiling elderly man

Volunteering and contributing

  • We engaged 38% of our global workforce in volunteering work, to the benefit of their local communities
  • We raised over USD 328 million in donations as we continue to harness the power of philanthropy to support social and environmental initiatives

Diversity, equity and inclusion

At UBS, we’re building a culture of belonging, where employees from all backgrounds and identities can feel recognized and valued, and where everyone can unlock their unique potential. To succeed, we’re focusing on delivering the greatest possible impact for our stakeholders – including our clients, communities, suppliers – as well as our employees who are at the core of our diversity, equity and inclusion strategy.

Two women embracing at sunset on a bridge

Our approach

  • A sense of belonging helps drive engagement and is important for overall well-being. Many of our policies, including fair pay and equal opportunities, along with highly valued employee options such as hybrid working arrangements, support a workplace environment that fosters belonging.
  • We believe that transparency is key to achieving our aspirations and in 2020, outlined aspirations to enhance our Female representation globally, with specific intentions for ethnic minority representation in the UK and US, especially among management.
  • Find out more about diversity, equity and inclusion and our aspirations.

Partnerships

The sustainability-related challenges our world faces cannot be solved by one organization alone. That is why we collaborate with other thought leaders and standard setters to drive change on a global scale. Our partners include large investors, standard setters, clients and peers, plus our communities and our employees.

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Our sustainability offering

We believe it’s possible to create investment and financial solutions that are good for the planet, good for society and offer competitive financial returns. Find out how to mobilize your capital toward a more sustainable world.

Informed by expertise

We possess a formidable set of research and strategy experts, all of whom contribute to our understanding of sustainability and the changes to come. You can learn from their insights too.