Economiesuisse focuses on sustainability

The principle of sustainability will shape our economic and political actions even more in the future, indeed it will have to shape them, warned Economiesuisse President Christoph Mäder in his address to around 300 guests at this year's Business Day in Basel. This applies just as much to federal finances as it does to pension provision or climate policy. This is why the umbrella organisation for the economy is committed to a liberal and sustainable market economy that takes economic, social and ecological goals into account in a holistic manner.

"The liberal and sustainable market economy places free, self-determined individuals at the centre," Mäder emphasised. It relies primarily on individual responsibility and innovation and only secondarily on regulation and the state. It should improve competitiveness, preserve the natural foundations of life, strengthen social cohesion and thus also enable future generations to have a future worth living.

The principle of sustainability originated in economics, Mäder explained, and in today's understanding always has three dimensions: the economic, the social and the ecological. Genuine sustainability can only exist if all three dimensions are taken into account. "Together, these form the basis for the material, social and cultural well-being of our society. A policy that focuses one-sidedly on ecological sustainability and neglects the economic and social effects is not sustainable, cannot be sustainable," says the Economiesuisse president.

Mäder cited the future of electricity supply as an example of the importance of all three dimensions of sustainability. The decarbonisation of transport and heating is necessary in terms of ecological sustainability. But if politicians accept an increasing shortage of electricity, this is neither economically nor socially sustainable, he stressed.

Include externalities in prices

In her keynote speech, economist and economic expert Beatrice Weder di Mauro, President of the Centre for Economic Policy Research, referred to the conference title "Can growth be a sin? Economic growth is not sustainable from an economic point of view if prices are wrong, she said, making the connection to externalities and climate change as a concrete example of this. When it comes to scarcity of common goods such as global CO₂-If the budget goes up, this must be reflected in the prices of goods and services - ideally in the form of incentive taxes.

Less efficient, but more popular in politics, is the way via regulations and subsidies. It is obviously more difficult to raise the price of driving than to subsidise rail travel. But that does not solve the problem. The global community faces a major task here, said Weder di Mauro. It is clear that massive governmental and globally coordinated action will be needed.

Economiesuisse Annual General Meeting

At their annual meeting on 10 September, the members of Economiesuisse elected 15 new board members and approved an amendment to the articles of association. The business umbrella organization also has three new members. 

On 10 September, the Economiesuisse General Meeting elected 15 new members to the Executive Board:

• Daniel Bloch, Principal Shareholder and Managing Director of Chocolats Camille Bloch S.A., Representative Biscosuisse/Chocosuisse
• Andreas BohrerGroup General Counsel & Company Secretary Lonza SA, Representative scienceindustries
• Philomena ColatrellaCEO of CSS Group, representative of the Swiss Insurance Association (SIA)
• Reto Francioni, Chairman of the Board of Directors Swiss International Air Lines AG, Representative Swiss International Air Lines AG
• Matthias Halusa, Managing Director of BASF Schweiz AG and Site Manager of BASF Basel site, representative of scienceindustries
• Robert Itschner, Chairman of the Executive Board ABB Switzerland Ltd, Representative Swissmem
• Antje Kanngiesser, CEO Alpiq Holding Ltd., Representative Alpiq Holding Ltd.
• Adrian Nösberger, CEO Schroder & Co Bank AF, Representative Swiss Bankers Association SBA
• Brenda Ponsignon, Corporate and Public Affairs British American Tobacco Switzerland SA, Representative Swiss Cigarette
• Matthias RebelliusCEO and Delegate of the Board of Directors Siemens Mobility SA, Representative Swissmem
• Michael Rechsteiner, Chairman of the Board of Directors Swisscom AG, Representative Swisscom AG
• Marcel RohnerVice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Union Bancaire Privée, des. Chairman and Representative Swiss Bankers Association SBA
• Urs Schellenberg, owner and CEO of the company E. Schellenberg Textildruck AG, Fehraltorf, representative Swiss Textiles
• Roman MazzottaSyngenta Country President Switzerland, Head Crop Protection Legal, Syngenta Crop Protection AG, Representative scienceindustries
• Andrea OstinelliManaging Director External Partnerships & Head of Campus Switzerland Johnson & Johnson, Representative Johnson & Johnson

Philippe HebeisenVaudoise Assurances, Chairman of the Board of Directors, has been appointed to the Vice-Chairmanship of Economiesuisse. As the representative of French-speaking Switzerland, he replaces Bernard Rüeger, who remains a member of the Board Committee. Philippe Hebeisen, representing the Swiss Insurance Association (SIA), replaces Andreas Burckhardt, who remains a member of the Executive Committee.

Marcel RohnerVice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Union Bancaire Privée, also joins the Vice-Chairmanship of the Association. As a representative of the Swiss Bankers Association, he replaces the previous Vice Chairman Herbert Scheidt.

Thierry Kenel, Member of the Executive Board, The Swatch Group Ltd, was elected as the new Quaestor of Economiesuisse. He replaces the previous Quaestor Rolf Dörig, who remains on the Executive Committee.

Carl Illi, partner, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of CWC Textil AG, Eva Jaisli, CEO of PB Swiss Tools AG, and Michael Rechsteiner, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Swisscom AG, were newly elected to the Executive Committee.

Vice President Matthias Leuenberger, Country President Novartis Switzerland, Novartis International AG, and President Scienceindustries was confirmed in office for a further period.

Amendment to the Articles of Association

In addition, the general meeting approved an addition to the purpose statement in the statutes. It now reads: "It is committed to a liberal and sustainable market economy in which economic, social and ecological goals are holistically taken into account.

New members of the association

The board of Economiesuisse has admitted three new members to the umbrella organization:

The Association of Private Spitex Organisations ASPS represents private Spitex organisations throughout Switzerland. Its main tasks are to exert political influence, for example in the areas of care financing, KVG revision and the integration of psychiatric nursing care in Spitex. A further focus is equality vis-à-vis the Spitex organisations under public law.

Biscosuisse is the association of industrial manufacturers of long-life bakery products, bars, snacks, sweets, pastilles and other nationally and internationally popular Swiss food products. It advocates competitive framework conditions for Switzerland as a production location and provides industry-specific services for its member companies.

Johnson & Johnson has been active in Switzerland since 1959, when the company took over Cilag AG in Schaffhausen. Since that time, Switzerland has been an important location for Johnson & Johnson. Today, Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies employs around 4400 people in Switzerland, making it one of the largest American employers in the country. The globally active and broadly positioned healthcare company is active in the Consumer Health, Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals sectors.

Source: Economiesuisse