Published March 24, 2026
Last Thursday, the SBA published the study commissioned from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences on the implementation of ESG guidelines in asset management. The survey involved 89 banks active in wealth management and investment advice.
Strategic priority for major players
The study shows that sustainability in financial products is a strategic priority for more than half of the major banks. So-called ESG solutions have been developed by the latter and are taking precedence over traditional products in investment proposals. Small and medium-sized banks are less involved in this strategic direction. The study points out that this is due in particular to differences in structure, business model and resources between small and large establishments.
The human factor as the main lever
The study identifies the decisive importance of customer advisors in this process. This conclusion seems particularly relevant to us, given that sustainability in finance is a highly technical and complex topic. The range of products on offer is particularly vast, and the real impact of ESG products is highly variable and difficult to assess. So the first line of defense against the risk of greenwashing is the customer advisor.
On this very subject, the study points out that training the latter is a major challenge for the financial center. 79% of establishments surveyed consider that training their staff is an “arduous” task.
The complexity of reporting
The second challenge cited by the companies surveyed is sustainability reporting, due to the lack of uniform standards on the subject. We also share this conclusion, insofar as ESG reporting, unlike traditional reporting (portfolio valuations), does not have minimum criteria that are common and shared by all banks: financial reporting is based on consensual numerical data whose calculation method does not lend itself to debate (performance, valuation, concentration). The same cannot be said for sustainability reporting. This makes it particularly difficult to compare data from different banks, and increases the risk of greenwashing.
