What amendments or additions to Swiss ESG laws have been introduced in the past year, and how are these expected to influence businesses in the coming year?
In January 2022, the Swiss rules on due diligence and reporting regarding non-financial matters in the Swiss Code of Obligations (Swiss CO), which were adopted as a counterproposal to the ‘Responsible Business Initiative’ that was rejected by Swiss voters in November 2020, came into force (art. 964a ff. Swiss CO). These rules have started to apply as of the current financial year 2023 and the first reports according to the rules will have to be published next year (covering the financial year 2023). In a nutshell, large, listed companies and large companies supervised by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) will be required to publish a report on non-financial matters covering environmental matters, in particular CO2 goals, social issues, employee-related issues, respect for human rights and combating corruption. The companies in scope will have to let their shareholders vote on the report on non-financial matters at the general meeting. Additionally, certain Swiss companies will have to publish a report on due diligence regarding child labour and/or conflict minerals and metals. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Overview of ESG law in Switzerland”