The Key issues

This is a longstanding focus for our business supporting measures to improve safety in the home, businesses and on the road. As a major motor insurer we have developed a global programme with specific initiatives in many of our countries.

For example:

• Improving safety in the home, businesses and on the road is a longstanding focus for our business;

• Chile has run a road safety programme reaching over 20,000 children each year; 

• In Scandinavia we provide reflective vests to protect children travelling to and from school when it gets dark early.

We take climate change and other environmental issues seriously, believing they present risks and opportunities. As an insurer, any change in the intensity or frequency of extreme weather conditions is a significant risk, increasing claims from flooding or wind damage. Climate change is also an opportunity to create products that support and encourage consumers to tackle their environmental footprint.

We seek to minimise the impact of our operations and work with high profile partners such as WWF to encourage customers to adopt climate-friendly behaviour. Raising employee awareness is a key goal of our partnership with WWF to minimise impacts at home and work.

We have already met a 2020 Group target for a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions per £m Net Written Premiums against 2006 levels and have set an increased target of 50% reduction. Individual countries set additional targets covering key environmental impacts which can be found in our CR report.

We are dedicated to encouraging inclusion of disadvantaged groups in society through our products and community work. For example, we serve market segments such as social housing tenants with targeted products and have worked with partners in some markets to provide low-cost insurance for people on low incomes.

Our community programmes encourage employees to volunteer and fundraise on inclusion issues amongst others. By tackling issues such as education, poverty and crime it helps to tackle the root causes of groups being excluded from society. Employees are able to select local projects and causes which align with our themes and Group Charity Policy. For more information see the Charities and Community section.