Sustainability Analyses

In order to invest in a socially responsible manner, investors need more than strictly financial information. Information regarding a company’s environmental and social responsibility and corporate governance is a key element. Ethos therefore offers various services to assess company sustainability.

Ethos analyses the hundred largest listed companies in Switzerland and all companies included in the MSCI World Index.

Ethos offers the following advisory services to foster socially responsible investment:

Sustainability Ratings

Environmental, Social and Governance Analyses

Screening for Sector-Based Exclusions and Serious Controversies

Portfolio Screening

Sustainability ratings are based on an environmental, social and governance assessment. The environmental and social assessment covers themes as varied as corporate strategy and environmental management system, human resources, product sustainability, human rights, suppliers and relations with civil society. The governance dimension includes such subjects as transparency, capital structure, board composition and functioning, the remuneration system, shareholders’ rights and business ethics.

An in-depth sustainability analysis covers all environmental, social and governance criteria as well as a comparison with other companies in the same sector. Benchmarking against market standards and best practice is also included, as well as various indicators of the company’s environmental, social and corporate governance performance.

Ethos analyses companies to check whether they should be excluded from a sustainable portfolio. This might be the case for instance if a significant part of the company's sales is derived from a sensitive sector (armament, tobacco, nuclear industry, genetically modified organisms…). Another exclusion factor could be related to the existence of serious controversies (breach of human rights, major damage to the natural environment…).

Ethos conducts a screening of existing portfolios based on environmental, social and corporate governance criteria as well as on exclusion criteria.