Doing business sustainably at LGT

Sustainability is a fundamental corporate principle of LGT. We are helping to protect the environment and reduce climate change in a number of ways. In all our actions, we are reliant on employees who identify with our values and who make a long-term commitment to our clients, our company and society and the environment.

Our commitments to doing business sustainably can be broken down into the three classic sustainability areas of Governance (G), Social (S) and Environment (E).

E for Environment – doing business sustainably for a healthy environment

Our principles for environmentally friendly operational management and climate protection are laid down in the LGT Code of Conduct. They include using natural resources efficiently, improving our operations to reduce energy consumption and taking measures to help prevent climate change.

Building management: From the planning and construction phase, inauguration and regular operation through to preservation and renovation, our building management is rigorously geared toward sustainability. One example is the work on converting our Zurich office to meet the Minergie standard, which was completed in 2016, and the building’s low resource use.
Operational reviews and improvements: In the area of environmental protection and climate change, the focus is on improving energy efficiency. The buildings in Geneva and Zurich, for instance, are cooled and heated exclusively with water from the lake and in Liechtenstein, approximately eight percent of our annual electricity requirements are covered by a photovoltaic system.
Offsetting: We offset unavoidable CO2 emissions from business operations and business flights. Currently, we are doing this by supporting a small hydropower project in Honduras, which has been launched by the South Pole Group.
Reinvesting the CO2 tax refund: Since 2012, we have been donating the refunds that LGT receives from the CO2 tax to the Swiss Climate Foundation. The Climate Foundation supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Switzerland and Liechtenstein with energy efficiency measures and innovation projects that contribute to protecting the climate.
Mobility: In order to reduce the amount of commuter and business traffic, LGT encourages employees to use public transport. Bicycles are available to employees at various locations and clients and employees can charge the batteries of their electric cars at in-house charging stations.
Sustainable procurement: In our procurement process, it is very important that products comply with our sustainability principles from manufacturing through to disposal. We require our suppliers to adhere to the LGT Supplier Code of Conduct which ist based on the LGT Code of Conduct as well as on internationally recognized principles such as the UN Global Compact. This also includes that we expect our suppliers’ subcontractors to comply with these principles in the areas of working standards, human rights, environmental issues and anti-corruption measures.

We require our suppliers to adhere to the LGT Supplier Code of Conduct which ist based on the LGT Code of Conduct as well as on internationally recognized principles such as the UN Global Compact

S for Social – commitment to society and employees

Both our employees and the company itself are committed in numerous areas and at numerous levels to the positive, sustainable development of society.

Through the Employee Volunteering Program (EVP), we give our employees the opportunity to volunteer on behalf of less privileged members of society or to work on projects that protect the environment. Around five percent of employees have taken part in various EVP activities over the past five years.
Since 2014, LGT has presented charities in Liechtenstein with the LGT Award for Social Commitment. The prize, which is worth 50 000 Swiss francs, is awarded every two years to non-profit organizations in Liechtenstein.
Since 2016, LGT has been a partner of the charitable organization Drink & Donate (drink-and-donate.org). With the motto “Drink mains water, support water projects,” we are encouraging employees not to buy bottled mineral water, but to drink tap water instead. Furthermore, we donate 100 000 Swiss francs each year to Drink & Donate drinking water projects chosen by employees.
We run a comprehensive and diverse range of internal and external training and development courses to develop our employees, some of them at the LGT Academy, our own continuing training organization. In Liechtenstein and Switzerland, we offer young people with training a practical and diverse introduction to professional life.
In 2014, the LGT Vitality health management program was launched, which is intended to strengthen our employees’ performance and health for the long term.

G for Governance – good governance creates trust and stability

For LGT, responsible and effective corporate governance is a key component in, and an essential requirement for gaining and reinforcing the trust of clients and employees and also that of the company’s owner and other stakeholders.

The LGT Code of Conduct – our shared system of values

Our business policy is based on performance, professionalism, fairness and high ethical standards. Our Code of Conduct specifies a minimum standard that we must meet even in cases where national legislation is less strict. The LGT Code of Conduct lays down the ethical and professional standards for all employees as well as for members of the Foundation Board and the Board of Directors.

“Our building management has for many years been underpinned by sustainable criteria. LGT has been CO2-neutral since 2010 and we are striving to continue steadily reducing our environmental footprint over the next few years.”
André Lagger, CEO LGT Financial Services