Focus on sustainable products and services

BCF offers reliable services of impeccable quality at reasonable prices. It places great importance on a clear and professional advisory process. Clients are informed in detail of any risks.

Investment products are classified according to their complexity. Only advisors who are certified in the relevant investment category may sell them. BCF publishes its flat-rate fees for all its asset management and wealth management mandates in a transparent manner.

BCF makes all its employees, including its financial advisors, aware of ethical criteria, client financial protection and sustainable development. Some of the staff thus participated in the activities of the ESG working group during the year under review, contributing, among other things, to the preparation of this report.

BCF has monitoring tools for business relationships, transactions and the application of economic sanctions. It also makes its staff aware of the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The staff is asked to take note of the relevant documents and to confirm this with a signed declaration. Internal and external training is provided, and some employees are given knowledge tests.

BCF does not establish business relationships with persons domiciled abroad who have no connection with the Bank’s economic area.

BCF has a measured salary policy to ensure that advisors are not given false incentives. For example, variable compensation is not limited to product sales (quantitative criteria), but also takes into account qualitative criteria, such as behavior of the employee and business success.

Reliable, committed, competent and customer-oriented: this is how BCF employees should be perceived by their clients. The Bank attaches great importance to service and proximity. BCF’s strategic objectives indicate what customers should expect from their Bank.

BCF regularly measures customer satisfaction by conducting market research. The quality of services is also verified through mystery shopping. In this context, test customers visit the Bank’s counters or make requests by telephone or e-mail. BCF also has a complaints system to collect and manage customer feedback.

These tools are invaluable for keeping a critical eye on services and processes with the aim of continuously improving them. In addition, staff have an idea box, managed by a group of employees between the ages of 20 and 35, the BCF Youth Council, which allows them to submit proposals for improving customer relations.

Quality management is a priority for BCF: it is subject to regular controls and is continuously improved. All analyses conducted confirm the effectiveness of the management systems and the high quality of their implementation within the Bank.

Through its lending policy, BCF contributes significantly to the prosperity of its economic area and to a stable supply chain. Credit operations play an important role in BCF’s business model. Geographically, they are mainly focused on the canton of Fribourg and its neighboring regions.

The Bank focuses its activities on private individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and public corporations. At BCF, the granting of credit goes hand in hand with integrity, respect for ethical principles and sustainable development criteria.

In 2021, BCF launched two new mortgage products, the Eco Mortgage and the Eco Renovation Mortgage, which are designed for homeowners who meet certain energy standards when purchasing or building a property, as well as when renovating or expanding a residential, rental, commercial, craft or industrial building. In addition to personalized advice from the very first contact with BCF, clients benefit from a  discount on the medium and long-term fixed rate. The conditions for granting the loan are as follows:

« Eco Mortgage » Product

– 0.5% discount on the fixed interest rates of 5 to 10 years, 15 years and 20 years on max. CHF 500,000.00 for residential properties and on max. CHF 1,000,000.00 for rental, commercial, craft or industrial buildings;
– New construction / Consolidation of a construction credit: Minergie, Minergie P or A certificate; CECB global A certificate; SNBS label;
– Purchase of an existing building: Minergie, Minergie P or A certificate; CECB global A, B or C certificate; SNBS label.

« Eco Renovation Mortgage » Product

– 0.5% discount on the fixed interest rate for 5 to 10 years on max. CHF 250,000.- for residential properties and on max. CHF 500,000.- for rental, commercial, craft or industrial buildings.
– Renovation: Minergie, Minergie P or A certificate; CECB global A, B or C certificate; SNBS label; renovation provided for in the Confederation and cantonal building program; approval of the file by the Centre of Competence in Building Renovation (CCRB).

Both «Eco Mortgage» and «Eco Renovation Mortgage» products were developed by BCF in order to raise awareness among its customers and actively involve them in the environmental impact. The benefits of these products are described on our website www.bcf.ch :
Eco Mortgage :
https://www.bcf.ch/fr/prives/hypotheques-et-credit/hypotheques/hypotheque-eco
Eco Renovation Mortgage :
https://www.bcf.ch/fr/prives/hypotheques-et-credit/hypotheques/hypotheque-eco-renovation

Apply the SBA Guidelines

Since 2023, BCF, as a member of the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA), also applies the «Guidelines for Mortgage Providers on Improving the Energy Efficiency of Buildings» published by the SBA in 2022. These guidelines are binding on the Bank and aim to help clients preserve the long-term value of their building by improving its energy efficiency. The Bank has included these elements in its advice on real estate financing for single or holiday homes.

BCF informs clients about the building renovation subsidies to which they are entitled and, for specific advice, they refer them to independent specialist services. It also ensures that client advisors receive regular ongoing training on the longterm preservation of property value and on the energy efficiency of buildings.

It should be noted that since 2021, BCF has been involved in public information by collaborating with the Centre de Compétences en Rénovation des Bâtiments (CCRB) the organisation of a conference and a café-conseil.

An online renovation calculator

At the end of 2023, BCF put the « Wüest Refurb » renovation and CO2 emissions calculator developed by Wüest Partner AG online. This interactive and integrated tool offers real added value to mortgage financing advice. It is used to evaluate and estimate costs, to plan renovations over time, and to calculate the sustainability of single homes, condominiums and real estate investments. This calculator is used to estimate the optimum time for renovation and future renovation costs per building element. Since the beginning of 2024, the app has also provided an overview of subsidies for the energy renovation of a property. «Wüest Refurb» is made available free of charge to clients on the BCF website : www.bcf.ch.

As a financial services provider, BCF can exert some influence to ensure that the assets entrusted to it are used wisely and thus avoid possible negative repercussions on sustainable development. BCF assumes this role, advocates responsible financial investment management, and continually develops the criteria applied in this area and makes them transparent by integrating MSCI data in all portfolios.

BCF is increasing its expertise and commitment to responsible investment year after year. The investment is no longer analyzed solely from the perspective of return, but also from the point of view of its environmental and social impact. BCF is resolutely committed to contributing to a more sustainable global financial system.

Thanks to a partnership with the company MSCI, BCF is able to provide clients with a report on the sustainability of an investment portfolio. In addition, MSCI assigns a sustainability rating to all the funds in the BCF/FKB range.

BCF funds generally obtained good ratings as of December 31, 2022: on a scale ranging from AAA (best rating) to CCC (worst rating), the «BCF / FKB (CH) Active Balanced» and «BCF / FKB (CH) Active Yield» funds each received a rating of A, while the «BCF / FKB (CH) Equity Switzerland» fund achieved the rating AA.

As a member of the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA), BCF is committed to implementing the Guidelines for Financial Services Providers on the Integration of ESG Preferences and Risks in Investment Advice and Asset Management after the end of the current transitional period. These guidelines were published by the SBA in June 2022 with the aim of strengthening the position of the Swiss financial center in sustainable finance and make an important contribution to the transition to a sustainable economy.

The application of these guidelines ensures a uniform minimum standard for the integration of ESG preferences and risks in investment advice and asset management. The guidelines are intended in particular to prevent greenwashing in the context of investment advisory and asset management services provided to clients.

Careful selection ensures that sustainable investments target companies that meet strict ethical criteria and whose activities are based on economic efficiency, environmental compatibility, social responsibility and robust governance. The Bank’s clients thus have access to a wide range of sustainable investments. As a result of all the work carried out in 2023, the strategy and document «Taking into account customer preferences in ESG» was developed. The aim of this document, which will be reviewed periodically in line with changes to BCF’s investment practices and approach, is to summarize the characteristics and risks of investments that incorporate ESG criteria in a more or less prominent way and to formally document the main principles applied by BCF with regard to sustainable investing.

Our investment policy : Investir en soutenant le développement durable (bcf.ch), incluant les préférences ESG

Our investment policy

ESG-preferences

During the year 2024, every customer investing in the financial markets will be able to define his or her ESG preferences and check that his or her investments comply with them. At BCF, each customer’s ESG preferences fall into three categories: very interested, interested or neutral.

BCF has developed tools that enable clients’ ESG preferences to be included as part of Wealth Management in accordance with the SBA Directive.

Very interested

The investor favors investments whose ESG impacts are measurable, and accepts that his or her ESG preferences may lead to an increased concentration of risk and fluctuation in the value of his or her portfolio in the short and medium term.

Interested

The investor is keen to favor companies or issuers with good ESG management practices, while maintaining investment diversification across several instruments (equities, bonds, etc.) and/or several sectors of the economy.

Neutral

ESG considerations are not relevant to the investor, but BCF remains free to select financial products that respect ESG characteristics.

Investistment selection

BCF uses the following cumulative or alternative approaches to select financial instruments that meet ESG criteria: exclusion, best-in-class, thematic, impact and active shareholding.

Exclusion

Some companies are excluded on the grounds that their activities or practices run counter to ESG values (e.g. exclusion of non-conventional weapons).

Best in-class

Companies with better ESG performance than a traditional portfolio (e.g. favoring a consumer goods company that minimizes the use of plastic)..

Thematic

Investments contributing to the development of sustainable ecological or social solutions (e.g. investments in renewable energies).

Impact

Investments with a measurable positive social and/or ecological impact (e.g. bonds issued by a development organization enabling children to go to school).

Active shareholding

Use your status as a shareholder to persuade companies to integrate environmental, social and governance criteria into the execution of their strategy (e.g. align your vote with the guidelines issued by a socially responsible investment organization such as Ethos)

Compliance with ESG preferences and portfolio monitoring

For investors who have indicated their ESG preferences, BCF includes in their mandates investment solutions whose ESG characteristics are in line with their preferences.

Sustainabiliy rating

In partnership with external service providers such as MSCI ESG Research, BCF is able to assign a sustainability rating to the instruments making up the portfolio, or to exclude non-compliant instruments.

Reporting

BCF provides its customers with sustainability information in the form of a report integrated into customer statements.

BCF only sells and buys Fairtrade or traceable gold apart from its former bars. It is thus responding to strong demand from private institutions and investors.

Fairtrade Gold

The label Fairtrade Max Havelaar is used for 1-20g ingots. It ensures better protection for people and the environment in artisanal gold mining. Here are a few examples:
– long-term commercial development with mines;
– guaranteed minimum price;
– Fairtrade premium of USD 2,000.- per kilogram for the mines in question ; this additional income is invested in community projects (schools, water supply, medical centres, etc.) and enables the improvement of operations;
– measures to protect health and accidents (security, training, protective clothing, etc.);
– prohibition of forced labour, abusive child labour or any other form of discrimination.

The Fairtrade code allows the gold to be traced back to the mine.
More information on www.maxhavelaar.ch

Traceable gold

The term «traceable» is now used for ingots weighing more than 20 grams and ensures traceability as evidence of the origin of gold.

The logistics chain for traceable gold:

• the gold originates from a certified mine;
• the DNA marker is sprayed on raw gold;
• at the refinery, a PCR test is carried out on raw gold in order to detect the marker. The gold is then treated separately;
• the traceable gold ingots bear a unique serial number and are, where appropriate, stamped;
• during the production of ingots, there is no mixing with non-traceable gold;
• the information on the origin is seized by the Banque Cantonale de Zurich;
• the client has complete transparency and traceability;
• the premium charged by the refinery is used to support environmental and social projects.