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Credit Suisse offers innovative sustainable and impact investment products across all asset classes, including our own as well as third-party investment products. The Credit Suisse flagship offering comprises Sustainable Real Estate and Impact Investment.
By theme
For investors that prefer to invest in specific themes, a list of corresponding financial products can be found below.
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Access to financial services
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Access to education
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Nature conservation
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Climate change
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Please read the product descriptions as well as benefits and risks.
- CS Real Estate Fund Green Property
Please read the product descriptions as well as benefits and risks.
- Nature Conservation Note*
Please read the product descriptions as well as benefits and risks.
By asset class
In addition to theme-related products, Credit Suisse clients also have the opportunity to invest in financial products that promote sustainability in a broader context. The entire list of our products in sustainable and impact investment can be found below.
Fixed income
CS (CH) Sustainable International Bond Fund, CS (Lux) Sustainable Bond Fund
Invests in bonds globally with the aim of generating an above-average and regular stream of income. All bonds fulfill various environmental, social, and corporate governance criteria. Credit Suisse applies a three-step screening process that includes business involvement exclusion, norms-based exclusion and best-in-class (positive) screening.
Benefits/Opportunities:
- Social and ecological impact: The fund takes into account environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria for investment decisions. It helps to tackle environmental issues (climate change, toxic waste, resource scarcity), social issues (diversity, human rights, consumer protection, animal protection), as well as governance issues (management structure, labor relations, management compensation).
- Downside protection: Typically, an ESG investment approach results in a bond portfolio with less downside risk. Especially in times of crisis (e.g. during the financial crisis in 2008 or the Euro crisis in 2011) sustainable bonds outperform the equivalent traditional bond indices.
- Solid return: Expected gross return of 3% p.a.
- Global fixed income expertise: Credit Suisse is the leading Fixed Income House in Switzerland. Its Core Fixed Income Group has many years of market experience and a successful track record.
Risks:
- Price variation: 4% to 6% volatility p.a.
- Market risks: Adverse developments of currencies, interest rates, and credit may negatively impact the return of the fund.
- Basic investment risk: No capital protection
- Default risk: Issuers of assets held by the Fund may not pay income or repay capital when due.
Index solutions
CS/Finreon Sustainable Emerging Markets Equity IsoPro**
The investment universe includes 125 of the largest sustainable stocks of the emerging markets. Sustainability and sector representativeness is ensured by a best-in-class approach based on the sustainability rankings of Inrate. The fund is suitable for qualified investors wishing to gain broad exposure to emerging market developments while avoiding the structural deficiencies of purely passive indices.
Benefits/Opportunities:
- Minimum volatility risk against benchmark
- Broadly diversified investment possibilities even for low investment amounts
- Passive investment strategy eliminates the unsystematic risk
Risks:
- Risks associated with an equity investment include significant market-price fluctuations and the subordinate status of equities relative to debt obligations issued by the same company
- Macroeconomic factors may lead to declining share prices
- No capital protection
Real estate
CS Real Estate Fund Green Property
Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 2013, this fund invests in high-quality new construction projects that are located in strong economic regions in Switzerland. In the selection of new building projects the focus is on sustainability. The properties and projects must meet the strict requirements of greenproperty, the seal of quality for sustainable real estate.
Credit Suisse (Lux) European Climate Value Property Fund**
This fund pursues a conservative real estate strategy and acquires existing commercial properties in promising European markets and upgrades their energy efficiency, increasing earning potential. The upgrades and the purchase of CO2 certificates make this innovative fund climate neutral. A key aspect of the investment concept is based on a system for controlling, measuring, and monitoring energy consumption in cooperation with the Siemens technology group. This product may only be distributed in or from Switzerland, to qualified investors as defined pursuant to the Collective Investment Schemes Act (“CISA”).
Benefits/Opportunities:
- Low interest rates and large risk premium versus government bonds
- Increasing rents and market values due to positive development of the economy and the real estate markets
- Stable income from well leased conservative Core/Core Plus property investments even in unfavorable market conditions
- Potentially rising rents and market values due to successful transformation of sustainability strategy
- Further diversification of the portfolio with new commitments from existing or new investors
Risks:
- Rising interest rates negatively affect market values and interest payments on credits
- Decreasing rents and market values due to deteriorating economic and real estate market fundamentals
- Costs spend for improving the energy efficiency do not pay off
- Redemption requests cannot be met due to insufficient liquidity, properties have to be sold in adverse market conditions to generate liquidity
Impact Investment
responsAbility Global Microfinance Fund**
An open-ended debt fund investing in the microfinance sector worldwide. The fund suits investors who seek a financial return while enhancing economic prospects for micro-entrepreneurs and low-income households by providing them with access to financial services.
responsAbility Microfinance Leaders Fund**
An open-ended debt fund (with up to 20% private equity) refinancing top-tier microfinance institutions worldwide. The fund addresses the needs of qualified investors with long-term horizons who seek a financial return while enhancing the economic prospects for micro-entrepreneurs and low-income households.
responsAbility Fair Agriculture Fund**
Makes debt investments in carefully selected actors along the agricultural value chain, focusing on fair trade. The open-ended debt fund allows investors to help improve the economic situation of the rural population in developing and emerging economies.
Asia Impact Investment Fund**
A unique private equity fund investing in small to medium-sized, fast growing enterprises across Asia that are addressing social challenges through financially-viable business models, thereby improving the livelihood of low-income individuals.
Higher Education Notes*
Financing for underprivileged, talented students across the globe to access best-in-class higher education (top masters programs in business, medicine, public administration, engineering, and law). The Notes support hundreds of high potential students, most of whom have no funding alternative.
Nature Conservation Note*
Focuses on sustainable agriculture and forest protection. The Note invests a portion of its capital in the Althelia Climate Fund that finances projects for sustainable land use and agricultural produce in emerging countries, and achieves nature protection by stopping deforestation. The remaining capital is invested in a portfolio of selected Green and Sustainable Bonds, providing additional environmental impact.
Benefits/Opportunities:
- Stable and absolute return. Steady and positive returns with low volatility based on solid asset track record.
- Social and/or environmental impact. Provides capital for solutions to pressing societal challenges such as education, affordable housing or access to finance.
- Uncorrelated return. Low correlation vs. other asset classes with most investments made in sectors detached from capital markets.
- Strong quality of underlying assets. Portfolio of high quality with for example a high percentage of performing loans.
Risks:
- Emerging Market Risk. Impact Investments may include investments in less developed countries that have a higher degree of risk.
- Liquidity Risk. Impact Investments may not be as liquid as traditional instruments.
- Credit Risk. The risk of default on a debt investment.
- Currency Risk. Currency exchange rate fluctuations may have a positive or negative impact on the value of your investment.
- Individual investment portfolios should therefore be sufficiently diversified and contain only a small proportion of these types of assets.
Multi asset class solutions (MACS)
Credit Suisse (CH) Sustainability Fund Balanced CHF
The fund is an actively managed, globally diversified, Swiss-biased, balanced multi-asset-class fund that adheres to sustainability criteria. The fund’s investment approach builds on Credit Suisse’s proven investment process for wealth management funds – enriched with a sustainability filter.
Benefits/Opportunities:
- Innovative investment concept based on criteria for socially responsible investment
- The fund is globally diversified across various sectors and countries
- Analysis of the investment universe from an ethical perspective is conducted by a specialist external provider
Risks:
- Assessment of ESG criteria by external partner might differ from personal view of investo
- There is no guarantee that losses can be avoided or that investment objectives will be achieved
- The performance of your portfolio will depend on the investment decisions of Credit Suisse
CS Sustainable Premium Mandate
The portfolio of a private individual or charitable foundation can be fully customized according to the client’s preferences. The mandate includes regular review meetings with your dedicated Portfolio Manager based on state-of-the-art reporting. It has a proven track record with a consistent outperformance over several years, which is based on a highly sophisticated, structured, and disciplined investment process. The minimum investment amount is 10 million Swiss francs or equivalent.
Benefits/Opportunities:
- Continuous and positive returns with low volatility
- Positive and tangible social impact as well as portfolio diversification
Risks:
- Investments in developing economies are subject to additional risks (e.g. political) compared to investments in developed markets.
- They can furthermore exhibit lower liquidity.
CS Sustainable Institutional Mandate
The portfolio of an institutional client or a large charitable foundation can be fully customized according to the client’s preferences. The mandate includes regular review meetings with your dedicated Portfolio Manager based on state-of-the-art reporting. It has a proven track record with a consistent outperformance over several years, which is based on a highly sophisticated, structured, and disciplined investment process. The minimum investment amount is 10 million Swiss francs or equivalent.
Benefits/Opportunities:
- Continuous and positive returns with low volatility
- Positive and tangible social impact as well as portfolio diversification
Risks:
- Investments in developing economies are subject to additional risks (e.g. political) compared to investments in developed markets.
- They can furthermore exhibit lower liquidity.