Chairmen's message

Clarifying our commitments to build sustainability

A major economic actor in the Canton of Fribourg, our Bank approaches sustainability with coherence and perseverance. We achieved a major milestone in 2025: establishing a clear framework for our commitments to place them within a long-term, measurable and responsible vision. We completed a double materiality assessment and progressed with the implementation of a risk management framework based on environmental, social and governance criteria (ESG risks).

This work is paying off. The Bank’s ESG rating by MSCI improved from BBB to A during the year, testifying to the methodical and consistent work performed in the background.

We have made a firm and ambitious choice: to position ourselves as an exemplary operator in terms of social responsibility. That means we have to say what we are doing, what we aim to achieve and how we intend to achieve it. We have clarified our intentions and reinforced our position by adopting a genuine sustainability policy with a long-term perspective. This policy sets clear guidelines, incorporates rating agencies’ expectations and is aligned with recognised standards in the sector. Some principles may seem self-evident in a Swiss context, but they are essential benchmarks for international evaluation. We are meeting our responsibilities as a financial operator in full by spelling them out.

Moreover, we achieved an operational milestone in 2025. We calculated the full volume of our financed emissions for the first time, i.e. greenhouse gas emissions associated with loans and investments. This complex and exacting exercise enabled us to establish where we currently stand and unearthed some issues regarding availability of the data needed to make such calculations. Nonetheless, it does give us an indispensable basis for defining credible and measurable goals.

Our business model is a key factor in this regard. As a cantonal bank with strong regional roots, we mainly finance real estate. The transition in the construction sector required by the Swiss Climate and Innovation Act will entail a gradual reduction in emissions financed by us, which must be supported by our responsible actions. Sustainability is therefore not an abstract or ideological concept: it is part of a clearly defined process based on regulation, technological innovation and societal expectations.

In an international context that has become highly uncertain, our approach contains no ambiguity. As part of an institution 100% owned by the Canton of Fribourg, we bear a special responsibility. Being exemplary is not a slogan: it is a requirement. It also gives us an opportunity to strengthen our role as a local bank, serving the real economy.

Our ambition is simple and determined: to be the Bank that advises and accompanies the people and businesses of the Canton of Fribourg over the long term, aligning economic performance, social impact and environmental responsibility. Sustainability is not an option. It is a responsibility. And, now more than ever, a chance to build a resilient and equitable future.

Alex Geissbühler
Chairman of the Board of Directors

Daniel Wenger
Chairman of the Executive Board