Protecting the planet

It probably shouldn’t be a surprise that a company with “we secure your future” as its purpose statement has a consistent focus on sustainability across all aspects of its business. Geoff Sparling, chief customer officer at Allianz Ireland, says the organisation has managed to embed sustainability into every element of its operations, from reducing its carbon footprint and decarbonising its underwriting portfolios to closing the gender pay gap and building more inclusive workplaces. The social aspect of sustainability is also a key focus, and the company has built strong relationships with organisations such as the GAA, the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Paralympics Ireland and Women’s Aid.

“In this way, our sustainability efforts go beyond just mitigating climate change, they are deeply embedded in creating a more sustainable society and economy for all and we believe engaging and collaborating with all stakeholders is essential to achieving this,” says Sparling. “As an insurer, protection is at the heart of everything we do and so naturally that applies to how we view our natural, social and economic resources both in the immediate and long term.”

Like many organisations, Allianz is on a net-zero emissions journey. This is one they have recently accelerated, says Sparling: “Last year we updated our targets to become net-zero in our operations by 2030 instead of our original 2050 goal.” The insurer has already achieved a 29 per cent greenhouse gas emissions reduction last year. Following years of complex foundational work, Allianz also recently took the first steps in moving to decarbonise its insurance portfolios, and this year it will invest €15 million in a renewable energy fund.

Even quite simple measures have made a big impact — in 2022, increased digitalisation and applying the online discount rate for all new policyholders led to an average reduced paper consumption of 7 per cent per policy. Meanwhile, the Allianz Ireland head office in Dublin is an impressive example of sustainable workplace design — it runs on 100 per cent renewable electricity and has a passive management cooling system that automatically opens windows to draw in cooler air.

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The organisation has also found ways to marry its environmental and social endeavours, recently launching the Allianz Ireland Climate Safe Homes initiative. “This landmark programme will help drive sustainable innovation in the house building sector in Ireland while helping to futureproof Irish homes to withstand the effects of climate change,” says Sparling.

Indeed, the social aspect of sustainability has not been forgotten about, and Sparling says Allianz is proud of its efforts to “create a more inclusive and resilient society”. For example, they have a specific employee volunteering policy and have implemented additional volunteer leave.

The insurer is also the longest-standing supporter of para-sport in Ireland, and its partnership with Paralympics Ireland has been in place since 2010

“As part of this, we have focused on building collaborative partnerships that will drive positive social change across the country. In particular, this means working with organisations that share our values and celebrate diversity, such as the GAA where we have been a proud sponsor of the Allianz Football and Hurling Leagues for over 30 years as one of Ireland’s longest-running sports sponsorships. We are delighted this year to have added the GAA senior football championship and Camogie Association to our commitments.” The insurer is also the longest-standing supporter of para-sport in Ireland, and its partnership with Paralympics Ireland has been in place since 2010.

Allianz is “deeply committed” to its partnership with domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid, says Sparling. “Since 2022, we have committed to investing more than €1 million over three years to help raise awareness and support services available to the one in four women in Ireland subjected to domestic abuse.” This includes a new annual fundraising campaign to support Women’s Aid, which was launched on St Brigid’s Day this year, called #StandStrong. “Allianz looks forward to growing this support for #StandStrong and Women’s Aid in the years ahead to help make a difference in society.”