ALLIANZ TOPS DOW JONES SUSTAINABILITY INDEX FOR 2018

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Allianz Group achieved the top position as sector leader among all rated insurance companies in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). This is the second time in a row since 2017. In the results of the world’s most relevant sustainability index, published today, Allianz ranks with 85 points well above the average sector scoring  of 47 points. 

Since 2000, the company has been part of the DJSI which assesses environ-mental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. Only the most sustainable of the 2,500 companies in the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index (DJGTSM) are listed.

“We are very pleased with this result. It shows that our focus on ecological, social and governance criteria is being acknowledged by external sustainability experts,” says Günther Thallinger, Member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE and responsible for Invest-ments and ESG. “As a responsible insurer, investor and employer, we contribute to positive social and economic development in all markets in which we are present.” Allianz creates measurable ecological and social added value through, among other things, sustainable products, climate-friendly business operations and social engagement. 
Important results of the last year include

·      165 insurance and financial products with ecological or social benefits

·      5.6 billion euros invested in renewable energies (as of 31.12.2017)

·      reduction of the carbon footprint per employee by 17 percent (compared with 2010)

·      social engagement with around 80,000 hours of voluntary work by employees and 20 million euros in donations for a good cause.  

·      providing an opportunity for a young South African footballer to fulfill their dreams and the goals through the Allianz Junior Football Camp (AJFC).

·      investing over 50 000 euros by creating a Maths & Science center to improve learning and education outcomes at a South African township school.

By joining the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi), Allianz has set itself long-term goals for climate protection. In the future, the two-degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement will be integrated into the investment of insurance customers’ premiums. To this end, all tradable investments are to be structured climate-neutrally by 2050. In order to support this long-term transformation towards a low-carbon economy, Allianz is in active dialogue with companies to define and implement their own climate protection targets.

The first step is being taken in four particularly energy-intensive sectors, including the transportation sector. In the energy sector of the portfolio, the threshold value for the maximum coal content will be lowered from 30 percent to 25 percent by 31 December 2022. The threshold refers to the revenue that mining companies generate by mining coal, or to the percentage of electricity generated from coal by energy companies. The measures continue Allianz’s ESG scoring approach, which is currently applied to companies with high ESG risks.

Allianz is currently working with recognized climate experts, non-governmental organizations and committed companies within SBTi to develop marketable analysis tools for investors to integrate the two-degree target. Many companies are still unable to make precise statements about their greenhouse gas emissions or those of their supply chain due to a lack of data and procedures. “There is still a lot of pioneering work to be done. As a long-term investor, we need valid methods as quickly as possible to evaluate the climate strategies of invested companies. The adaptability of business models to the two-degree target will in future be a decisive selection criterion for our portfolio,” explains Günther Thallinger. “It is important to limit global warming as quickly as possible – this will only succeed if business and politics pull in the same direction.”

With a view to achieving the two-degree target, Allianz also intends to significantly reduce 
its own emissions in the long term. One of the next important measures is to purchase all electricity for the Allianz Group’s business operations from renewable energy within the 
next few years.