SFI–SSF Conference 2026:

We are pleased to share that Zacharias Sautner, Professor of Sustainable Finance at the UZH Department of Finance and Senior Chair at the Swiss Finance Institute (SFI), delivered a keynote address at the SFI–SSF Conference 2026: "Nature and Climate Risks Shaping Investment Decisions".

Nature and climate considerations are increasingly shaping how finance assesses risk, values assets, and allocates capital. Environmental factors such as biodiversity loss, physical climate risks, carbon markets, and real estate valuations are now relevant across many sectors and asset classes, raising key questions on how to measure these risks, integrate them into decisions, and finance the transition to more resilient economic systems.

The conference, jointly organized by the Swiss Finance Institute (SFI) and Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF) in association with Building Bridges, brought together leading academics and industry practitioners to discuss how nature and climate risks are transforming investment decisions and financial markets.

SFI–SSF Conference 2026: "Nature and Climate Risks Shaping Investment Decisions"
Date: Thursday, 24 September 2026
Time: 13:15 – 17:20 (doors open at 12:00 with lunch)
Location: Lake Side, Bellerivestrasse 170, 8008 Zurich
Language: English
Program: Conference Schedule (PDF, 58 KB)

More information can be found on the Swiss Finance Institute event page: https://industry.sfi.ch/en/sfi-event

Keynote by Prof. Zacharias Sautner

Zacharias Sautner opened the event with a compelling keynote address in which he discussed the financial implications of natural hazards.

In his keynote speech, entitled "The Financial Materiality of Nature Risks", Prof. Sautner examined the following topics:

why nature-related risks have become financially material for investors,
how these risks can be measured,
and where financing gaps for nature and climate solutions create new investment opportunities.

Using a simple childhood memory as an example, he illustrated the effects of biodiversity loss and explained why this is important not only from an ethical standpoint but also from a financial one. Based on his research findings, he demonstrated that investors do take nature-related risks seriously from a financial perspective, how such risks can be measured, and what challenges related to nature-related risks can be expected in the future.

"Data can make risks visible, but capital ultimately has to shift. Banks can stop financing assets with high climate risks, and insurers can stop underwriting them. Policy makers can support this transition through carbon pricing and regulation, while investors such as pension funds can also influence companies through their capital allocation and engagement. The key question is how we can accelerate this shift from awareness to action.”
-Prof. Zacharias Sautner

Prof. Sautner is one of the world's leading researchers in sustainable finance. His research on climate change, biodiversity, ESG investing, and financial markets has significantly advanced our understanding of how environmental risks influence investment decisions and corporate behavior. He also heads the department's Initiative in Sustainable Finance.

Research from our department that addresses topics covered at the conference:

Firm-Level Nature Dependence
The authors of this paper introduce firm-level measures of nature dependence and explore whether and how financial markets pay attention to such dependence. https://www.df.uzh.ch/en/news-events/news/2025/firm-level-nature-dependence.html
Corporate Nature Risk Perceptions
How do companies perceive nature risks? This paper reports the results of a global survey of companies, now accessible on the Review of Finance website. https://www.df.uzh.ch/en/news-events/news/2025/corporate-nature-risk-perceptions.html
Do Investors Care About Biodiversity?
Research shows that investors are beginning to factor biodiversity impacts into stock valuations, especially after key global policy developments aimed at protecting nature. https://www.df.uzh.ch/en/news-events/news/2025/isf-research-highlight-biodiversity.html
Corporate Climate Lobbying
This paper offers a unique deep dive into the corporate climate lobbying architecture in the United States and new insights into the determinants and consequences of climate lobby expenditures. https://www.df.uzh.ch/en/sustainable-finance/research-areas/climate-and-biodiversity-finance/corporate-climate-lobbying.html