The Ethos Foundation and PK-Netz have decided to collaborate to offer employee representatives sitting on the boards of trustees of pension funds privileged access to the sustainable investment and active ownership training programmes developed by Ethos.
The Ethos Foundation and PK-Netz have decided to enter into a partnership to enable employee representatives on the boards of trustees of Swiss pension funds to strengthen their knowledge and skills in sustainable investment and active ownership. Under this partnership, board members affiliated with a PK-Netz member organisation, as well as graduates of PK-Netz training courses, will benefit from a 20 % discount on all modules available on the Ethos training platform.
Since its founding in 1997, the Ethos Foundation has been working to promote responsible investment with the aim of fostering a stable and prosperous socio-economic environment for the benefit of current and future civil society. By partnering with PK-Netz, the trade union centre of expertise for occupational pensions, Ethos reinforces its commitment to continuing education for employee representative board members. In line with ASIP recommendations issued since 2022, the training of governing bodies in ESG matters has become an essential pillar of any responsible pension strategy.
“Employee representatives on boards of trustees are at the heart of our educational mission,” emphasises Vincent Kaufmann, Director of the Ethos Foundation. “They are often those who bring the greatest awareness of ESG issues, and it is precisely for this reason that it is essential they have the knowledge needed to assess risks, but also to identify concrete solutions available to pension funds.”
A comprehensive training programme tailored to the Swiss context
The Ethos education platform offers a foundation course on the fundamentals of sustainable investment. This course, which lasts approximately one and a half days in total, is available online and in three languages (French, German and English). It covers the following topics, each structured in three modules:
• Introduction to sustainability
• Fiduciary duty
• Regulation
• Investment decisions
• Stewardship (active ownership)
The training programme draws primarily on Swiss examples to anchor the content in the concrete experience of Swiss pension institutions. Each topic is also available as micro-modules that can be taken individually, according to each participant’s needs and priorities.
An advanced module on the ASIP ESG reporting standard further complements the Ethos Foundation’s training offering. Designed specifically for members of foundation boards who use these reports, as well as for the teams that prepare them, it provides a detailed overview of the indicators and calculation methods recommended by the ASIP, with numerous examples of best practice from Swiss pension funds.
Discover the training program on the Ethos Education Platform or contact us for more information.
The Ethos Foundation was established in 1997 to promote sustainable investment and is dedicated to a stable and healthy economic environment that preserves the long-term interests of current and future society. To help achieve its objectives, the Ethos Foundation established Ethos Services in 2000, which today offers a range of services in sustainable investment as well as investment funds and sustainable stock market indices.
PK-Netz is the trade union centre of expertise for occupational pensions (BVG/LPP), founded in 2010 and today supported by 18 trade unions and staff associations. As a trade union centre of expertise for occupational pensions, its focus rests on three pillars: training, information and exchange. In addition to its diverse range of training programmes, PK-Netz regularly organises networking events, publishes position papers and guides, and advises board members on specific questions.
