Strategy & ESG Governance

We carefully consider the conditions we believe are conductive to a better life. To do this, we engage in discourse, share our views and commit to making sustainability a central part of our core business. Our clear stance generates understanding and support from all our stakeholders – employee, customers, shareholders and the public

Sustainability Strategy

Our long-term sustainability strategy is holistic. It combines our economic aspirations with a clear ecological and social commitment to the environment and society. In doing so, we aim for a sustainable value creation approach. In our management approach, we therefore pursue financial and non-financial goals. 

The five cornerstones of our sustainability strategy are:

 1. Aligning the investment policy with ESG criteria

  • Assessing environmental and social impacts on our assets on an ongoing basis
  • Assessing the impact of companies and countries in which we have invested on the environment and living conditions for communities
  • Establishing new databases to continually incorporate current assessments into our investment decisions
  • Incorporating the indirect carbon emissions of our investments into our management process
  • Introducing a scientifically based target system to reduce carbon emissions in compliance with the Paris Agreement
  • Our accession to the UNEP Finance Initiative and cooperation with all signatories to the Principles for Responsible Investment are key steps toward achieving this ambitious long-term goal.

2. Incorporating ESG factors into our product policy and creating additional value accordingly

As a seller of insurance policies and financial products, we share responsibility for personal living standards and the value-creation processes of our business. Risk prevention and mitigation are the core areas in which environmental and social impacts must increasingly be incorporated into the advising approach. Our product range must also be adapted accordingly.

We will provide other environmental investment opportunities in addition to the existing portfolio, especially more sustainable products (unit-linked insurance products) and even purely “green” products. Another goal is to gradually expand our range of health and property insurance products that meet environmental and social criteria to broadly promote sustainable lifestyles and sustainable corporate governance.

In doing so, we rely on supplementary product modules (e.g. e-mobility, low-emissions household/business management) and improving the quality of advising on resource efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. We consistently strive to implement our Statement of Decarbonisation and will report regularly on our website on the progress we have made.

3. Managing our business in an exemplary manner in view of our environmental and social goals

We are committed to continually reducing our carbon footprint, which we are documenting more precisely and aligning more systematically with reduction targets developed in conformity with the targets stipulated by the Paris Agreement. This process involves applying international certifications and standards, both in our relationships with suppliers as well as in managing our own business.

Likewise we are continually greening our vehicle fleet and our travel policy. We are pursuing specific carbon reduction targets in our largest core market of Austria in the following five areas during the period from 2021 to 2025:

  • Installation of photovoltaic systems
  • Greening of heating/cooling systems
  • Optimisation of energy monitoring
  • Switching lighting to LEDs
  • Greening of the vehicle fleet


Targets

2019 

2025 

2030 

2035 

2040 

Greenhouse gas emissions

 

Spec. CO2-emissionen energy [kg CO2/m²/a] 

45

18

16

14

13

Spec. CO2-emissionen energy [kg CO2/m²/a] 

45

-59%

-64%

-68%

-71%

 

 

Energy efficiency  

 

Spec. electricity consumtion [kWh/m²/a] 

96

82

73

65

59

Spec. electricity consumtion [kWh/m²/a] 

96

-15%

-24%

-32%

-39%

Spec. heat consumption [kWh/m²/a] 

100

89

81

73

66

Spec. heat consumption [kWh/m²/a] 

100

-11%

-19%

-27%

-34%

 

 

Renewable Energy 

 

Share of photovoltaic-electricity [%] 

0,5%

7,3%

8,7%

10,0%

11,1%

Share of ecological heating [%] 

48%

77%

89%

100%

100%

 

 

Fleet

 

Fleet average [g CO2/km] 

99

23

0

0

0

Share Electric-cars [%] 

12%

63%

100%

100%

100%

4. Transparent reporting and willingness to obtain third-party ratings

The goals we pursue in our sustainability strategy should be measurable, comparable and aligned with recognized standards. In future we aim to report on our goals and the progress we have achieved in a timely and transparent manner beyond what is required by statutory disclosure regulations. We have already laid some of the groundwork for this ourselves, while also deriving guidelines from our support of and membership in various initiatives. 

In addition to transparent reporting, we also pursue active dialogue with ESG rating agencies and strive to continually improve our ESG rating by adding reporting processes. The journey is the destination and we are constantly learning! 

5. Stakeholder management: Recognising and collectively pursuing societal goals

Our management approach includes maintaining an ongoing dialogue with all of our stakeholders and their representatives in order to exchange information about our goals and positions on current issues in a timely manner. In doing so, we stand by our positions, even though there may not always be general consensus on the issues. 

Apart from our customers and those representing their interests, we seek out regular dialogue with

  • public representatives (government ministries, municipalities, regulators, NGOs, etc.),
  • our employees in employee ESG discussion groups and town hall events and
  • our investors during investor meetings and events.

You can find more details here:

ESG integration

We aim to consider ESG (environmental, social, governance) factors both for our insurance and investment business. 

Group ESG Committee

The Group ESG Committee, set up in 2021, is the central body for sustainability matters at a Management Board level. It comprises members of the Management Board of UNIQA In- surance Group AG and the heads of the Corporate Business, Sustainability and Ethics and Public Affairs departments.

 The Group ESG Committee (ESGCO) was implemented to drive forward ESG integration in our core business. Another function of this body is to continuously monitor stakeholder awareness of environmental and social impacts arising from our engagement and business activity.

The Group ESG Committee meets on a quarterly basis. Its most important functions include the following:

  • Strategic definition and continuous further development of ESG ambitions for the UNIQA Group
  • Management of ESG approach at Group level and approval of annual ESG working plan
  • Definition and prioritising of ESG topics for the Group
  • Regular informing of UNIQA’s Management Board regarding ESG topics and activities
  • ESG targeting and KPI monitoring
  • Setting the agenda for the Stakeholder Council
  • Supervision of Group-wide climate strategy and environmental management

Sustainability management

The Sustainability, Ethics and Public Affairs (SEPA) is responsible for the UNIQA Group’s sustainability agendas and reports to the Head of HR, Brand and Sustainability, who also acts as the Chair of the ESG Committee. SEPA supports all operational units in integrating and pursuing the sustainability strategy within the business processes. Among other things, the team  is also responsible for sustainability governance, sustainability reporting, rating enquiries and monitoring regulatory changes.

You can find more details here: