Good GRESB results for Helvetia in 2024

Media release
Basel, 24 October 2024
 

For the second time, three Helvetia real estate investment vehicles participated in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB). All three investment vehicles saw an improvement in their GRESB results compared with the previous year and were once again awarded a Green Star. These awards underscore Helvetia's ambitions in the responsible investment space, with a net-zero target for indirect emissions by 2050.  

The Helvetia Investment Foundation’s two real estate investment groups (Swiss Real Estate and Romandie Real Estate) as well as Helvetia Asset Management Ltd's Helvetia (CH) Swiss Property Fund, which is listed, were assessed by GRESB for the second time and increased their points in the GRESB score in 2024. The three investment vehicles, which have total assets under management of around CHF3billion, achieved gratifying GRESB scores (81, 80 and 80 points, respectively, out of a total of 100) in this year's GRESB sustainability benchmark analysis for real estate as well as 3 out of 5 stars in the benchmark comparison. These good results mean all three investment vehicles met the criterion for the separate Green Star award.   

Vehicle 

Score¹ 

Rating² 

Green Star³ 

Helvetia Swiss Real Estate investment group 

81 points 

*** stars 

Green Star award 

Helvetia Romandie Real Estate investment group 

80 points 

*** stars 

Green Star award 

Helvetia (CH) Swiss  

Property Fund 

80 points 

*** stars 

Green Star award 

1 The GRESB score is a value from 0 to a maximum of 100 and consists of the weighting of different sustainability categories.
2 The GRESB rating is based on the GRESB score and its quintile position compared with all participants in the annual GRESB rating. 5 stars = top quintile in the global field, 1 star = lowest quintile in the global field.
3 GRESB grants real estate vehicles a Green Star award if they achieve a score of more than 50% of the points in the management and performance categories.

In 2024, a total of 2,223 real estate investment vehicles participated in the GRESB sustainability benchmark. GRESB is an independent organization that annually compiles the leading global sustainability benchmark for the real estate industry. GRESB provides investors with independent, transparent and standardized benchmark results on ESG performance and sustainability best practices for real estate and infrastructure companies, funds and assets worldwide.  

"This marks the second year we’ve participated in GRESB and we’re pleased to have delivered improved results for our investors as well as won the Green Star award for our three real estate investment vehicles. Our participation reflects the importance of ESG factors in our investment processes and underlines our commitment to sustainability", says André Keller, Group Chief Investment Officer at Helvetia. 

Net-zero target of 2050 for investments
The GRESB scores are the result of a comprehensive campaign to gear the three real estate investment vehicles to sustainability. Measures to combat climate change are a central component of the Helvetia sustainability approach. At the same time, responsible investment is a strategic goal of the Helvetia Group as it seeks to meet its responsibility towards the environment. The company intends to gradually shift the investment portfolios to net-zero emissions by 2050, thus meeting the requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement. 

Further information is available via the following links: 

• Helvetia Investment Foundation 
• Helvetia Asset Management Ltd 
• Sustainability at the Helvetia Group 
• GRESB 

About the Helvetia Investment Foundation
Established in 1993, the Helvetia Investment Foundation is a foundation under Swiss law as defined in Art. 53g LOB and Art. 80 et seq. SCC, and is overseen by the Occupational Pension Supervisory Commission OPSC. Its purpose is the collective investment and management of the pension assets entrusted to it by investors. To this end, it offers investment groups focusing on real estate, mortgages, mixed funds and securities. Its investors comprise employee benefits institutions domiciled in Switzerland whose purpose is the provision of occupational benefits. The General Meeting of Investors is the investment foundation's supreme body.

Real estate investment groups of the Helvetia Investment Foundation 

Name 

Swiss Real Estate 

Romandie Real Estate 

Security no./ISIN 

18823078 

30120010 

ISIN 

CH0188230780 

CH0301200108 

Bloomberg 

IMMSCHW SW 

IMMROMD SW 

Investor group  

Pension institutions domiciled in Switzerland 

Pension institutions domiciled in Switzerland 

Year established 

2012 

2016 

Financial year 

1 January to 31 December 

1 January to 31 December 

Foundation management  

Helvetia Swiss Life Insurance Company Ltd, Basel 

Helvetia Swiss Life Insurance Company Ltd, Basel 

Portfolio management  

Helvetia Asset Management Ltd, Basel 

Edmond de Rothschild REIM (Switzerland) Ltd., Geneva 

Custodian bank  

J. Safra Sarasin, Zurich 

J. Safra Sarasin, Zurich 

Supervisory authority  

Occupational Pension Supervisory Commission (OPSC), Bern 

Occupational Pension Supervisory Commission (OPSC), Bern 

The prospectuses and factsheets of the investment groups and the annual and sustainability report of the Helvetia Investment Foundation are available at www.helvetia-anlagestiftung.ch. 

About Helvetia Asset Management Ltd
Helvetia Asset Management Ltd is regulated by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA and provides fund management and asset management services. It offers collective investment schemes and is an independent fund management company operating in the interests of its investors. The company also provides investment advice and performs asset management, client representation and transaction management for employee benefit institutions, namely for real estate portfolios. Helvetia Asset Management Ltd has its registered office in Basel, Switzerland, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Helvetia Holding Ltd, St. Gallen, Switzerland. 

Fund information 

Name 

Helvetia (CH) Swiss Property Fund 

Security no./ISIN 

Security no.: 51383832/ISIN: CH0513838323 

Ticker symbol 

HSPF 

Legal form  

Contractual real estate fund under Swiss law  

Fund domicile  

Switzerland  

Investor group  

Unlimited 

Distribution policy 

Distributing  

Launch date 

3 June 2020  

Accounting year 

1 October to 30 September 

Fund management company  

Helvetia Asset Management Ltd, Basel 

Portfolio management  

Helvetia Asset Management Ltd, Basel 

Custodian bank  

Zürcher Kantonalbank, Zurich  

Market maker  

Bank J. Safra Sarasin AG, Zurich 

The prospectus with integrated fund contract, the basic information sheet and the annual and semi-annual reports are available at www.swissfunddata.ch and www.helvetia-am.ch. 

This media release can also be found on the website www.helvetia-am.ch. 

Disclaimer 
The details and descriptions provided in this media release concerning the Helvetia Investment Foundation's investment groups do not constitute an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell certain financial instruments, nor are they to be understood as investment advice. They are for information purposes only. Any acts or omissions made on the basis of the information contained in this media release are the sole responsibility of the recipient. Compliance with statutory provisions is also the recipient's own individual responsibility. The recipient should also be aware that the ratings given in the media release may change in future.  

The Helvetia (CH) Swiss Property Fund referred to in this media release is exclusively for qualified investors – as defined in Art. 10 (3) and (3ter) of the Swiss Act on Collective Investment Schemes (CISA) in combination with Art. 4 (3–5) and Art. 5 (1 and 4) of the Financial Services Act (FinSA) – domiciled in Switzerland. The details given of the real estate fund are intended exclusively as information and do not constitute legal, tax or financial advice, nor are they an offer or a recommendation to buy or sell investment instruments or other financial services or a solicitation or invitation to submit an offer. The sole binding basis for the purchase of or subscription to fund units is the fund agreement, including the appendix, and the latest annual report. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the fund management company, Helvetia Asset Management Ltd, Steinengraben 41, 4002 Basel, Switzerland, or the custodian bank, Zürcher Kantonalbank, Bahnhofstrasse 9, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland.