The cluster and the demands of sustainability

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Sustainability requirements are transforming the cluster. The financing banks incorporate environmental and social criteria into their decisions, decline to finance certain commodities — thermal coal, oil from certain regions — and ask traders for information on the origin and footprint of their cargoes. The inspection companies are developing services for sustainability certification and supply chain traceability. Insurers exclude certain risks. Lawyers advise on due diligence obligations in the fields of human rights and the environment.

This development creates opportunities for the Geneva cluster, whose skills in verification, certification and advice are in demand. It also creates tensions, between the traders, who continue to handle fossil fuels on a massive scale, and the financial institutions, which face growing pressure from their shareholders, their clients and the authorities. The proximity of International Geneva, where the climate rules are negotiated, makes these tensions particularly visible.

The members of the cluster have an interest in anticipating these developments. Traders who document the origin and footprint of their goods, banks that develop financing linked to sustainability objectives, inspectors who certify responsible supply chains and lawyers who master the new obligations strengthen Geneva’s position in the trading of tomorrow, which Part K will examine.

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

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The cluster and the demands of sustainability

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