Our commitment
In France
More than just sport
More than just sport
For 20 years, 'Sport dans la Ville' has been France's leading non-profit serving disadvantaged kids through sports and job-readiness training. The programs are dedicated to serving youth at every stage of their development, leading young people on the path toward a brighter future. We've been supporting this association since 2017 to help promote the social and professional integration of young people through the values of sport.
Supporting women in business
Supporting women in business
We're proud to be collaborating with the women business angels network in France.
Our UBS experts regularly meet with driven and diverse women, wanting to promote the role of women in the economy, and support them in high potential start up investment decisions.
Taking a stand against cultural exclusion
Taking a stand against cultural exclusion
Children who are sick, handicapped, or suffering from poverty should never have to fight against cultural exclusion.
This is exactly what the Foundation Culturespaces stands for: it facilitates access to the arts and heritage for disadvantaged children.
Thanks to its made-to-measure projects, it helps these children to discover historical and artistic treasures, and helps them to construct their lives through cultural activities.
We're a proud supporter of its "Discovering the hôtel Caumon" project offering cultural activities using custom-designed educational tools and games.
Supporting students and promoting diversity
Supporting students and promoting diversity
The ESCP Europe Alumni Association brings together a diverse community of graduates and students across Europe to promote solidarity among them and provide them with a collection of services and tools.
Together with the ESCP we host various meetings throughout the year. This platform enables entrepreneurs, business leaders, business angels and experienced entrepreneurs to share their experiences and learn from one another.
Running against cancer
Running against cancer
Every year a number of our dedicated employees take part in La Parisienne, a running race that's just for women. And by doing so help raise awareness and donation for breast cancer research.
Around the globe
Driving change that matters
Driving change that matters
Driving change in the world needs leadership. As one of the world's largest wealth managers, we have a responsibility to take a leading role in shaping a positive future – for all of us and the generations to come.
We're developing new financial products that have positive impact on the environment and society. With partners and clients we're constantly innovating in the field of philanthropy. And we're continuously establishing new standards of doing business sustainably.
65 years of sustainability
1945
The original Charter of the United Nations called for “cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character.”
1954
The goal of UBS’s first Community Affairs initiative was clear: long-term sustainable change enabled by charity, volunteerism and philanthropy.
1970
The first Earth Day moved environmentalism into the mainstream as 20 million Americans, including many children, participated in peaceful protests, inspiring an annual April event that now reaches 192 countries.
1982
The establishment of UBS’s first energy-functional unit highlighted the increasing importance of fuel consumption in the global economy.
1989
UBS became the first bank in Switzerland to create the position of environmental officer, helping the company focus on its environmental sustainability goals.
1993
UBS became one of the first signatories of the United Nations Environment Programme bank declaration (UNEP FI).
1994
UBS introduced its first environmental policy.
1999
UBS became the first bank to obtain ISO 14001 certification for worldwide environmental management system in its banking business, and the company launched the Environmental Risk Policy in the Investment Bank. This year also marked the establishment of the UBS Optimus Foundation.
2000
UBS was among the first companies to sign the UN Global Compact.
2002
The non-profit Carbon Disclosure Project gave organizations and governments a standardized method for reporting their carbon and energy usage, with the ultimate goal of minimizing environmental impact. UBS was a founding partner.
2006
UBS introduced its climate strategy and the Group Executive Board decided to set a group-wide CO2 emission reduction target of 40 percent below 2004 levels by 2012. As an immediate measure, the company offset all CO2 emissions that resulted from 2006 business air travel, totaling over 100,000 tons of CO2 and representing about a quarter of its total CO2 emissions.
2015
UBS created the Educate Girls Development Impact Bond, a new kind of investment tool to help improve education for girls in Rajasthan, India. Since then, UBS has helped develop other significant DIBs; in 2017, it was part of the first healthcare DIB, and in 2018, it helped create the world's largest education DIB. UBS also launched its partnership with photographer Annie Leibovitz, which was aimed at providing strong role models for women. UBS is also recognized for its industry group leadership in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices.
2016
A full decade after UBS created its first climate strategy, 174 countries and the EU came together to sign the Paris Agreement, which established the ground rules for all participating countries to follow in order to slow climate change.
2017
UBS unveiled a blueprint for channeling private wealth towards the UN SDGs at the World Economic Forum in Davos. UBS joined the UN working group on the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TFCD) implementation to help banks disclose their exposures to climate-related risks and opportunities. The company also pledged to raise at least $5 billion in SDG-related impact investments over five years, and launched its first development impact bond in healthcare.
2019
The UBS ETF MSCI World Socially Responsible Ucits ETF exceeded EUR 1.23 billion, becoming the first in Europe to surpass the EUR 1 billion mark.17
