As a public-sector university involved in teaching, research and innovation, EPFL has a duty to serve the interests of our society and the environment. This also applies to our investment decisions, which must be responsible and aligned with ethical, environmental and social principles.
We have therefore outlined a Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Charter, through a joint effort involving several student associations, the Vice Presidency for Finances and the Vice Presidency for Responsible Transformation. The charter sets forth the criteria we have adopted to make investment decisions in a way that helps build a more sustainable future, while taking into account risks, returns and the regulatory framework. For instance, the charter includes strict criteria regarding investments in fossil fuels (oil, natural gas and thermal coal), excluding companies that generate over 10% of their revenue from the extraction, transmission or distribution of fossil fuels or from fossil-fuel-based power generation.
An SRI working group has met several times in the past few years to draft this charter and will keep working to hone our approach so that we make the most sustainable investments possible in terms of both society and the environment.
