Our solutions allow financial professionals to assess financial risk and reputational risk resulting from the breach of international standards, such as severe environmental degradation or the violation of human rights and labor standards.

Examples:

• Designed environmental risk procedures for several business lines of commercial banks and investment banks (for example corporate lending, export finance, trade finance, private banking, M&A, and underwriting). Depending on the client segment, the procedures cover financial risk (e.g. related to site contaminations, asbestos, natural hazards) and reputational risk (e.g. related to controversial clients).
• Review of environmental risk procedures in Europe, the United States and Asia-Pacific (focus on reputational risks in investment banking, corporate lending and private banking).
• Designed and developed RepRisk®, a web-based tool to assess risks related to controversial companies and projects. RepRisk® is used in commercial banking, investment banking and asset management, among others by BayernLB, Credit Suisse, Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, J.P.Morgan, UBS, and UniCredit Group. In 2010 RepRisk reached a size and financial stability that allowed for a stand-alone business; ECOFACT remains a distribution partner. For more information, please visit www.reprisk.com.
• Developed ESAT, an environmental and social assessment tool, for IFC, the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group. ESAT is designed for SME financing in emerging markets.
• Developed an environmental risk management tool for IIC, the private-sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank. The tool is used by IIC's clients in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Developed a screening tool for SIFEM, the Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets. The tool is used by SIFEM when screening private equity investments in emerging markets.

Policies and guidelines

We support our clients in drafting documents that provide financial professionals with clear guidance for day-to-day business decisions.

Examples

• Developed sector-specific policies, guidelines and screening tools for international commercial and investment banks (sectors recently covered: biofuels, defense, forestry, gambling, metals and mining, nuclear power, oil and gas).
• Developed an environmental and social risk framework covering all financial and reputational risk categories.
• Developed a reputational risk management framework to address Basel II requirements. Carried out a survey on best practices in reputational risk governance for a leading European bank.
• Supported leading international banks in revising their group sustainability policies.

Training and capacity building

We impart the required know-how to business, risk management and risk control functions.

Examples:

• Trained bankers to support them in implementing new procedures (includes client advisors, risk officers, M&A specialists, recovery managers, structured finance specialists, trade and export finance specialists).
• Developed a modular training kit on sustainable finance, including training modules and case studies for IFC, the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group. The material can be used to organize workshops that last from 0.5 days up to 5 full days.
• Developed several case studies for commercial banks and investment banks.
• Carried out workshops on sustainable finance for financial sector specialists from the private sector, from multilateral development banks, and from governmental authorities.