Julius Baer has signed a declaration to support the United Nations (UN) Principles for Responsible Banking making it the first Swiss bank to commit to them. The Bank will formally sign the principles on the occasion of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2019.

The Principles for Responsible Banking have been developed by the UN Environment Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and 28 banks from around the world and will be officially launched on 22 September 2019. The Principles set out the banking industry’s role and responsibility in shaping a sustainable future and in aligning the banking sector with the objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. The principles represent a single framework for the banking industry that aim to embed sustainability across all business areas. 

Bernhard Hodler, Chief Executive Officer Julius Baer said: “We are very proud to be the first Swiss bank to commit to the UNEP FI Principles for Responsible Banking. At Julius Baer, we continuously include sustainability practices into our business, meeting a number of notable milestones in our pursuit of long-term value creation for clients, shareholders, and society as a whole. We see our responsibility as encompassing all aspects of sustainability: economic, social, as well as environmental. With our declaration to the Principles for Responsible Banking, we affirm our willingness to assume an active leadership role in sustainable changes.”