Largest Swiss companies: how good is their ESG performance?
Environment, social and governance issues have to be at the heart of every business and organisation. National and supranational regulations are demanding it and those demands will only increase. Buyers are demanding it of their value chain. And, perhaps most importantly, consumers want it.
We examined Switzerland’s 48 biggest companies to examine their ESG performance. As you’d expect, they are good. The best performers are those operating in controversial industries, for example the extraction sector, because they have a stronger need to protect their reputations.
Likewise, B2C companies typically perform better than their B2B counterparts, because they are under more scrutiny from more customers.
But these leading companies also provide some learnings. It is important to ensure ESG is fully integrated across the entire organisation. Having a solid ESG structure, with a dedicated unit or department, is an excellent start but it isn’t enough: ESG thinking has to inculcate everything everyone does.
And, having done the work, it is essential to be seen to be doing the work. Every business needs full and transparent ESG communications, so every stakeholder knows that they are doing.
You can download the report here. While the companies in the report have the most specific learnings, lessons go way beyond them to encompass organisations of all shapes and sizes.
Download our report
Largest Swiss companies: ESG and sustainability maturity.
Lukasz Bochenek
Chief Executive Officer, based in Geneva
Lukasz is the CEO of Leidar, where he advises global companies and international organizations on navigating complex issues and stakeholder landscapes. His approach combines strategic management, commercial law, and human-centric anthropology to deliver clear direction and impact.