CEO Statement

As a financial market infrastructure provider, SIX has a central role to play in the transition to a more sustainable economy.

Dear Reader,

Sustainability, used synonymously with “ESG” (environmental, social, and governance) in this report, has become a global megatrend. Driven by changing requirements from customers, investors, shareholders, and society as a whole, more and more companies are beginning to integrate ESG into their value proposition, strategy and operations. Regulation, led by the European Union, requires and promotes transparency to enable investment in sustainable assets and prevent greenwashing. Like the EU, Switzerland will require mandatory climate reporting from large companies starting in fiscal year 2023. Furthermore, SIX is also aiming for reporting in line with the EU CSRD directive, when it is in force.

With increased stakeholder expectations, the importance of strategic ESG management has risen sharply. SIX has a solid foundation on which to build: We make a significant contribution to the stability of the economy and are highly committed – through our clients and shareholders – to the (sustainable) development of the financial industry.

In recent years, we have launched many ESG initiatives, ranging from diversity and inclusion measures to corporate volunteering activities, from the listing and labeling of green bonds to promoting financial literacy, from our commitment to cybersecurity to our exemplary corporate governance.

In light of increasing stakeholder requirements and the growing importance of ESG, we have now sharpened our focus even further with a defined, Group-wide ESG strategy. The concept of dual materiality was used to prioritize our material topics. Our new materiality matrix can be found on page 6.

The following report is structured into our three strategic areas of activity: