Communication on Progress 2022

Participant
Published
  • 01-Nov-2022
Time period
  • November 2021  –  November 2022
Format
  • Stand alone document – Basic COP Template
Differentiation Level
  • This COP qualifies for the Global Compact Active level
Self-assessment
  • Includes a CEO statement of continued support for the UN Global Compact and its ten principles
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Human Rights
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Labour
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Environment
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Anti-Corruption
  • Includes a measurement of outcomes
 
  • Statement of continued support by the Chief Executive Officer
  • Statement of the company's chief executive (CEO or equivalent) expressing continued support for the Global Compact and renewing the company's ongoing commitment to the initiative and its principles.

  • Date: 1.11.2022

    To our stakeholders: I am pleased to confirm that Kieger AG reaffirms its support of the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact in the areas of Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption. In this annual Communication on Progress, we describe our actions to continually improve the integration of the Global Compact and its principles into our business strategy, culture and daily operations. We also commit to sharing this information with our stakeholders using our primary channels of communication.

    Sincerely yours,
    Pascal Mischler
    CEO

Human Rights
  • Assessment, policy and goals
  • Description of the relevance of human rights for the company (i.e. human rights risk-assessment). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on Human Rights.

  • Kieger aimes to ensure that employees are provided with safe, suitable and sanitary work facilities and protects them from workplace harassment including physical, verbal, sexual or psychological harassment, abuse or threats.

  • Implementation
  • Description of concrete actions to implement Human Rights policies, address Human Rights risks and respond to Human Rights violations.

  • As Kieger is an Asset Manager, several topics do not apply to us and we therefore do not such policies in place.

    Health & Safety at Kieger is governed by the Staff Handbook that everyone has read and understood. Kieger employees have access to the Staff Handbook at all times. Kieger also has clear policies in place which cover what is considered unacceptable conduct.

  • Measurement of outcomes
  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates performance.

  • Our control functions monitor the adherence to the above mentioned policies. Any incidences are being reported quarterly in the Compliance Report to the board of directors.

Labour
  • Assessment, policy and goals
  • Description of the relevance of labour rights for the company (i.e. labour rights-related risks and opportunities). Description of written policies, public commitments and company goals on labour rights.

  • Kieger, with offices in Zurich and Luxembourg, does not participate in any form of forced or bonded labour. Kieger complies with minimum wage standards to the extent applicable and also ensures that employment- related decisions are based on relevant and objective criteria. In our assessment, Kieger offers competitive remuneration that is attractive versus market/sector standards.

  • Implementation
  • Description of concrete actions taken by the company to implement labour policies, address labour risks and respond to labour violations.

  • As Kieger is an Asset Manager, several topics do not apply to us and we therefore do not such policies in place.

    Health & Safety at Kieger is governed by the Staff Handbook that everyone has read and understood. Kieger employees have access to the Staff Handbook at all times.

  • Measurement of outcomes
  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates performance.

  • The compensation committee meets on a regular basis and asses the employment conditions and takes appropriate measures.

    Each employee undertakes an semi-annual performance review with their supervisor in line with the firmwide policy.

    Demographics of Management and employees:

    Kieger BoD:
    3 women, 3 men

    Kieger MC:
    2 women, 5 men

    Overall employees:
    15 women, 24 men

    Nationalities presented: 12

    Average service time: 5 years
    Average age: 41 years

Environment
  • Assessment, policy and goals
  • Description of the relevance of environmental protection for the company (i.e. environmental risks and opportunities). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on environmental protection.

  • As an investment management firm Kieger has a relatively small environment impact from its direct operations.

    Nevertheless, Kieger considers it important to try minimimize any negative impacts to the environment from its operations.
    Morever, it places an increasing emphasis on the environmental impact related to its investments.

    Kieger has initiatives and programs in place to reduce waste and consumption of resources, while raising internal and external awareness of the benefits.

    Kieger is also a member of the “Net Zero Asset Manager Initiative”, which is committed to supporting the goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner.

  • Implementation
  • Description of concrete actions to implement environmental policies, address environmental risks and respond to environmental incidents.

  • As Kieger is an Asset Manager, several topics do not apply to us and we therefore do not such policies in place.

    Kieger employees participate in environmental awareness trainings. There have been several initiatives on reducing waste materials, e.g. no more PET bottles in the office, we use tab water, we have recycling bins in the kitchen. We invested in plants around the office which increases the oxygen content, reduces the concentration of air pollutants which leads to healthier employees.

    We send a CSR questionnaire to our office suppliers and partners to encourage them to be environmentally conscious and collect environmental data from them for evaluation.

  • Measurement of outcomes
  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates environmental performance.

  • Meeting all of our commitments that come with multiple memberships helps us to constantly evaluate, review and measure our performance and progress.

    Kieger employees also participate in environmental awareness trainings and take an active role in calculating our carbon footprint and we are considering ways to reduce this and, if not possible, to offset.

Anti-Corruption
  • Assessment, policy and goals
  • Description of the relevance of anti-corruption for the company (i.e. anti-corruption risk-assessment). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on anti-corruption.

  • Kieger is supervised by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) and has Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Compliance Policies in place to ensure ethical behaviour and the avoidance of any involvement in corruption. Kieger acknowledges that having in place anti-corruption risk assessment is very important for all financial services companies and having appropriate policies is a key goal for the firm.

    Kieger has risk management and compliance functions in place and a company culture that properly assesses the risk of corruption when doing business.

    Kieger has a Remuneration Policy in place, which discourage inappropriate risk-taking activities, infringing of applicable law or regulations or internal rules or the breach of any agreements. In its Compliance Policy, Kieger encourages all employees to report illegal activity or activities not in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations or its compliance framework.

  • Implementation
  • Description of concrete actions to implement anti-corruption policies, address anti-corruption risks and respond to incidents.

  • As Kieger is an Asset Manager, several topics do not apply to us and we therefore do not such policies in place.

    All employees required by the regulators have to take an annual AML training.

    With every new hire a background check is performed which includes the debt collection register and a criminal record.

  • Measurement of outcomes
  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates anti-corruption performance.

  • Our control functions monitor the adherence to the above mentioned policies. Any incidence are being reported quarterly in the Compliance Report to the board of directors.