UBS names Christian Leitz as its new Chief Sustainability Officer

UBS has named Christian Leitz as its new Chief Sustainability Officer, replacing Michael Baldinger.

Leitz has been at the Swiss bank since 2012, in various roles from Head of Corporate Responsibility to Corporate Historian – a position he retains on top of his new CSO function.

“Having spent the last two decades working at the intersection of sustainability, corporate culture, and history, I’m excited to take on this extended role – continuing as Group Historian while supporting the implementation of UBS’s sustainability strategy.

“It’s a privilege to work with such dedicated teams across the firm as we continue to protect, grow, and attract - with sustainability at the heart of what we do. And if you know me, you’ll know I believe some of the best things in life - ideas, institutions, gardens - flourish over time, with care and consistency. I look forward to helping cultivate what’s already thriving,” he said in a post announcing his new role.

Michael Baldinger: UBS’ first Chief Sustainability Officer

Leitz replaces Michael Baldinger, who was appointed UBS’ first Chief Sustainability Officer in 2021. The bank – a founding member of the Net Zero Banking Alliance – also created a new sustainability and social impact organisation that year, reporting to Suni Harford, Group Executive Board sponsor for Sustainability and Impact and President of UBS Asset Management.

After Baldinger’s appointment, UBS announced climate targets – not validated by the Science-Based Targets Initiative – to achieve net zero operational emissions by 2025 and cut portfolio emissions for ​​fossil fuels, power generation and real estate by 43% by 2030.

But in March 2025, following a mass exodus from the NZBA and climate target backtracks by the banking sector, UBS delayed its operational emissions target until 2035, citing its acquisition of Credit Suisse as the reason. 

At the same time, the bank also removed ESG-linked compensation for its executives, similarly to HSBC – which didn’t entirely remove sustainability criteria but lowered their weighting this year.

Baldinger is yet to comment on Leitz’ appointment or on his own next career move.