What is sustainable investing

The energy transition is picking up pace. We put you in the driver’s seat

There’s always a purpose behind financial investments. What’s yours? Perhaps it’s performance. Or preserving your wealth for the next generation. Or maybe you want your investments to reflect your values. Whatever your purpose, sustainable investing may hold the answer.

There’s plenty to consider when it comes to sustainable investing, so it’s worth starting by getting familiar with the topic.

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What is sustainable investing?

Sustainable investing takes into account the environmental, social and governmental challenges our world faces. For instance, this could relate to the overuse of natural resources, rising levels of pollution or the effects of increasing urbanization.

It’s a way to invest for the returns you expect while staying true to your values. It may be caring about a cause, looking to drive social change or wanting to have sway over how a company or even a country conducts itself.

Myth vs. reality

As with any new investment approach, there are a number of myths around sustainable investing. Here’s our take on them.

Myth

You sacrifice performance

Sustainable investment returns are comparable to what you can expect from conventional ones.^{1, 2} According to research, investing sustainably improves returns or doesn't harm them.¹ So it's little surprise the global sustainable investment market is growing.

Myth

You can’t measure the impact

With impact investing, you can already see the difference you’re making, since that’s a criteria. Even more promising, companies and funds are reporting their social and environmental impact.

Myth

Sustainable investing is only about protecting the environment

Sustainable investing incorporates social and governance considerations, in addition to environmental ones. Social and governance issues include health and safety, privacy and data security, labor management and business ethics.

How to invest sustainability?

Learn everything you need to know to make a difference.

There are three main ways to invest sustainably:

Exclusion

Exclude companies and industries that don’t reflect your values from your portfolio.

Integration

Integrate environmental, social and corporate governance factors into your portfolio to improve your returns and reduce risk.

Impact Investing

Invest with the intention to generate measurable environmental and social impact, alongside a financial return.

Bloom or Burst

It is dawning on the global community that biodiversity loss requires just as swift action as climate change. The urgent need for a more holistic approach to confronting it is expressed in the Global Biodiversity Framework's goal of reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. Achieving this goal demands bold action.

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Why UBS is your right partner?

We want to shape the future of sustainable investing. We are also confident that sustainable investing will soon become the world's most widely accepted way of investing.^2,3

Furthermore, as the world's leading wealth manager,⁴ we feel responsible for helping change things for the better. We have the capital, solutions and expertise to make a big difference globally.

These aren’t just words. We walk the talk. In 2017, we pledge to support our clients in investing USD 5 billion into impact investments over the next five years to help plug funding gaps needed to reach the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). And you’ll always have a team of sustainable investing experts helping you do more for your ﬁnances and the world.

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Everyone wins

Wealth Manager of the Year in the Environmental Finance IMPACT Awards 2020.

Connecting what matters

When you create, inherit or manage wealth, you have opportunities to pursue bold and meaningful undertakings. We can help you tap into deep networks within Global Wealth Management, Asset Management and the Investment Bank to access industry-leading experts and spark connections with like-minded peers.