Modern UBS was formed through a merger of the Union
Bank of Switzerland and the Swiss Bank Corporation in June 1998. UBS is headquartered in Zurich and Basel and it is the world's largest manager of private wealth assets and the second-largest bank in Europe. The bank provides a range of financial services, including investment banking and asset management, to corporate, private, and institutional clients.
ownership
listed on NYSE Euronext, SIX Swiss Exchange
headquarters
Bahnhofstrasse 45
CH 8098 Zurich
Switzerland
position top 1000 the Banker
In million US$. Ranking according to Tier 1 capital, as per definition Bank of International Settlements (BIS)
The CDP impels organisations to record their carbon footprint in daily activities. Encouraging enterprises to calculate and disclose their carbon impact, this initiative highlights the challenge for financial institutions to determine exactly how much carbon output can be attributed to financing.
Voluntary framework to guide the finance sector in tackling the challenge of climate change. They address the management of operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and provide direction on managing climate change in research activities; asset management; retail banking; insurance & re-insurance; corporate banking; investment banking & markets; project finance.
The EPs are a set of guidelines, based upon the Performance Standards and guidelines from the IFC, the World Bank's private sector lending arm for private banks to asesses and mitigate risks in project finance. Banks use the Principles to guide internal operating procedures for transaction for specific projects. Although the EPs are an important step to raise overall standards of financiers and projects in the developing world, they currently fall short on transparency and governance requirements.
The verification and full publication of company payments and government revenues from oil, gas and mining is supported by the EITI. Financial institutions can participate and encourage resource-rich countries to support the initiative that aims to defeat poverty, corruption and conflict caused by weak transparency and accountability.
As the name suggests, the GRI aims to standardise good practice in transparency. GRI provides companies with guidelines to organise their annual report with reporting indices and standards addressing environmental, social and economic issues that business ought to address when telling the world about its performance.
The UN Global Compact is a set of ten principles that companies may sign voluntarily. Signatories promise to avoid complicity in human rights violations, adhere to labour standards, protect the environment and avoid corruption. The G8 countries urge companies to participate in this initiative, and with over 2900 companies signing up, the Global Compact has momentum. A voluntary and network based framework, the Global Compact actively promotes peer review and stakeholder participation.
UNEP is the 'voice of the environment' for the United Nations system, promoting international cooperation in the field of the environment. Issues concerning the financial community are addressed by the UNEP Finance Initiative which promotes investment in clean and renewable energy by financial institutions and other investors. Financial insititutions wishing to join must sign one of two Statements (for financial institutions and a separate one for the insurance industry).
UNPRI is a set of six principles direct institutional investors may adopt to consider environmental, social and corporate governance issues when investing. Voluntary and aspirational in nature, UNPRI has since its inception in 2006 attracted 200 signatories, representing US$8 trillion worth of investments.
Since the turn of the century a group of twelve banks known as the Wolfsberg Group have collaborated to improve ethical standards. The principles provide guidance on money laundering, corruption and the financing of terrorism. They have been produced to address deficiencies in areas 'yet to be fully articulated by lawmakers or regulators'.
UBS' Group
Environmental Policy mainly addresses operational policies and no
investment activities except a reference to the UBS Risk Management and Control Principles. The UBS Responsible Supply Chain Standard is a repetition of the UN
Global Compact principles. Both statements are not awarded points to the issues
that are rewarded a point because of endorsement of UN Global Compact.
agriculture
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arms industry and trade
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fisheries
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forestry
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mining
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oil and gas
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power generation
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biodiversity
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climate change
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corruption
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human rights
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indigenous peoples
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labour
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operation in conflict zones
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taxation
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toxics
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accountability
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transparency
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headquarters
Bahnhofstrasse 45
CH 8098 Zurich
Switzerland
position top 1000 the Banker
In million US$. Ranking according to Tier 1 capital, as per definition Bank of International Settlements (BIS)
Cluster munitions pose a serious threat to civilian populations during and after a conflict. Cluster munitions are designed to blanket a large area containing one or more…
Located in the western Melaky region of Mahajanga pronvince are the two most developed tar sands projects of Magagascar, named Bemolanga and Tsimiroro. The size of both fields…
Mountain top removal mining is a form of strip mining in which coal companies use explosives to blast as much as 800 to 1000 feet off the tops of mountains order to reach…
The Browse Basin gas field off Western Australia's (WA's) north coast is estimated to contain 35 trillion cubic feet of gas. Woodside Petroleum Ltd and its joint venture…
The Grasberg mine, located in the indonesian province of Papua, on the island New Guinea, just north of Australia, is being run by the mining company Freeport McMoran. The…
BankTrack has identified controversial issues
with the companies listed below that require attention from UBS.
CRH Building Materials Group
CRH is a diversified building materials group which, through its investment in the Israeli company Mashav, is deriving profits and therefore benefiting from the occupation…
E.ON is a German electricity company headquartered in Düsseldorf and is another of big beasts of energy production. E.ON operates along the entire value chain of power…
Elbit Systems is a military equipment producer with a focus on defense electronics like intelligence gathering systems. Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries contribute directly…
Recently, two big European electricity utilities, GDF Suez and International Power, have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the largest independent electricity…
Lockheed Martin is a global security company that is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology…
Poongsan, a leading defence company in South Korea, develops military and sporting ammunition. It is the second South Korean cluster munitions company, after Hanwha. The…
As Europe's second largest electricity generator and one of Europe's five leading gas and electricity companies, this German utility is another of energy and gas production's…
Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) is an integrated engineering group specialising in innovative solutions and services in the aerospace, electronics,…
Textron is a multi-industry company, consisting of numerous subsidiaries and operating units. One subsidiary is Textron Systems, which is active in the defence, homeland…
Vedanta Resources is a mining company. It produces aluminum, copper, lead and zinc. Vedanta has a strong position in India, where its founder Anil Agarwal was born, but is…
Veolia is a large French company that operates on a global scale. The company is operating in several areas such as water supply and water management, waste management, energy…
Apr 27, 2010 | International Socio-Ecological Union (SEU), Russia
SEU and supporting organisations call on the banks coordinating Uralchem's IPO to only support it if the company commits to sorting out its environmental and human rights record.
Response UBS to NGO letter of 100414 concerning MTR
Apr 29, 2010 | UBS
Referring to their internal metals & mining sector guideline, which is not externally disclosed but according to UBS does reference the environmental and social impacts of coal mining.
Letter to BankTrack as a response to BT letter of February 11, 2010
Mar 29, 2010 | Equator Principles Financial Insititutions, Citi
The first response ever to one of the letters BankTrack sent to the Equator Principles Financial Insititutions. It is a response to the BankTrack follow up letter after the meeting in Zuerich, February 4.
Jan 04, 2012 - 2011 was the year full of controversies. Our cyber satire unveils banks and bankers that talk green but invest in climate killer coal fired power plants.
Sep 07, 2009 - The British Channel Island of Jersey is a major European tax haven.
In March 2009, European activists visited Jersey to expose how tax havens affect the lives of ordinary people around the world.
headquarters
Bahnhofstrasse 45
CH 8098 Zurich
Switzerland
position top 1000 the Banker
In million US$. Ranking according to Tier 1 capital, as per definition Bank of International Settlements (BIS)
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