"Some 50 representatives from the development finance private sector have called upon Swiss financial authorities in a joint message for greater support to scale private-sector investment in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and leverage the country’s position as global business hub for impact investing.
The message, which received support from Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF), addressed to the Swiss Federal Council, Federal Parliament and financial regulator (FINMA) is entitled “Putting Switzerland at the heart of SDG financing”. It recommends to improve the enabling environment around private sector investments into development finance strategies, while underscoring the already pivotal role of agencies such as the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC). Among a number of recommended measures, the message encourages the Federal Council to: review the general framework conditions that facilitate Swiss institutional and retail investors’ ability to invest in advancing SDGs; promote Switzerland internationally as an impact investing business hub; and to create a national centre of excellence in development finance investments.
“The message to our authorities is a strong bottom-up statement from the private sector to join forces towards the common goal of positive social and environmental impact in developing countries, job creation and employment in the Swiss financial sector, and sound financial return for investors ,” said Roland Dominicé, Chief Executive Officer of Symbiotics and board member of SSF.
Switzerland already enjoys a leading position in the global market for private-sector development finance, with a 32% market share of global impact assets under management (AuM), according to the 2019 Swiss Microfinance & Impact Investments Report. These impact assets have grown by 18.5% per annum since 2010, from a base value of USD 2.4 billion to USD 9.3 billion at the end of 2018.
“Our country is home to many of the world’s leading impact fund managers,” said Jean-Philippe de Schrevel, Founder and Managing partner at Bamboo Capital Partners. “Today’s convergence of the private and public sectors is a great opportunity we must seize.”
The signatories are holding a panel discussion on the topic and the joint message. The event, co-hosted by Symbiotics and Bamboo Capital Partners and open to the public, will be held at the Graduate Institute on October 8th from 5:30-8 p.m. in the context of the Building Bridges Week.
“I believe this joint declaration will serve as a roadmap for further policy dialogue that will strengthen the Swiss sustainable finance space for greater impact,” said Frédéric Berney, impact investing workgroup leader at Sustainable Finance Switzerland and Chairman of the BlueOrchard Microfinance Fund.
Find the full agenda and registration link here:

www.eventbrite.fr/e/switzerland-at-the-heart-of-sdg-financing-registration-73536259933"