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FIXED (OFFICIAL)- UBS seeks to keep, grow shipping loans in post-merger green overhaul

UBS will want to increase providing to the shipping sector and run off some loans to fossil fuel customers acquired from Credit Suisse, executives told , in the most significant test yet of the impact of a megamerger on banks' sustainability dedications.

The shotgun marital relationship of Switzerland's two greatest lending institutions in 2015 kick-started an intricate combination process consisting of weaving together the pair's variety of environmental, social and governance-related items, pledges and targets.

Like numerous lending institutions, both had dedicated to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century as part of efforts to cap global warming, yet their prepare for getting there were frequently rather different.

From fundamental distinctions in defining 'sustainable finance' to evaluating customer net-zero strategies - unheard of in the huge bank mergers of the international monetary crisis - the procedure was complex, stated Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Baldinger.

It was the first time to align 2 major sustainability structures, methodologies and programmes together, with all the recalibration, re-baselining, re-analysing everything ... it was quite an effort for us.

Along with modifying and broadening the combined group's. sustainability and climate threat policy framework, which will. govern all funding decisions, the group had to decide what to. do with billions of dollars in tradition loans.

While UBS long ago decided to focus on wealth management, a. company that does not bind a lot of capital, Credit Suisse was. a major investment banking loan provider to climate-damaging sectors. consisting of energy, shipping and steel.

The combined balance sheet of more than $1.6 trillion,. nearly two times the size of the Swiss economy, has actually drawn cautions. from regulators about the risk to the country, adding to. examination over how UBS plans to manage its lending practices.

In case, every single deal was discussed, Baldinger. stated, and loans in sectors that do not line up with the bank's. sustainability threat cravings, such as oil and gas business with. no shift strategy, will be housed in a non-core unit and. allowed to run gradually.

As a result, and in spite of re-basing its emissions-reduction. targets from 2021 instead of 2020, the bank said its plan to. lower nonrenewable fuel source sector emissions was broadly the same,. going for a cut of 70% by 2030, from a previous target of 71%.

UBS is also banking on shipping ending up being cleaner and it. plans to keep shipping-linked loans acquired from Credit. Suisse.

There's so much development going on ... do we want to grow. with time a clean shipping company? Absolutely, stated. Baldinger.

UBS likewise upgraded emissions decrease targets for real. estate, power generation and cement and included a target for iron. and steel for the first time, at 27%, listed below the 32% set by. Credit Suisse.

Christian Leitz, UBS' head of corporate responsibility, stated. one major job this year will involve evaluating all of Credit. Suisse's sustainable investing products to ensure they remain in. keeping with the new structure.

We need to go through each private item. Whatever is. on the rack that Credit Suisse may have called sustainable, we. go through..

(source: Reuters)