Corporate responsibility at Zurich

At Zurich, being a responsible, sustainable company is an element of good management and essential to how we do business. In our core business processes, our products and services, and in our engagements with the communities in which we live and work, we proactively address social, environmental and governance issues of rightful concern to our stakeholders. We recognize that our needs are inextricably linked and work hard to contribute to sustainable development and shape a better future for our Group, our people and society.

Building for tomorrow

Understanding the risks and opportunities posed by issues such as climate change, demographic change, resource scarcity, access to financial services and poverty, and creating adequate responses to help our stakeholders face these challenges, is at the heart of all we do. By engaging with key stakeholders, including customers, employees and active investor groups, we are able to better understand the materiality of corporate responsibility issues to Zurich and to prioritize issues based on the potential impact on the business, level of societal concern and our ability to influence the issue and make a difference. Regular dialogue with stakeholders, based on transparent communication of our corporate responsibility approach and performance, allows us to build credibility and trust, expand our knowledge, shape best practice and influence the debate.

Standing internal and external bodies have been established to look down the road and develop insights on behalf of our entire Group. Zurich’s Emerging Risks Group (ERG) catalogues and studies new and emerging risks that may affect our customers and our Group; developing better understanding of emerging risks is the first step toward mitigating them and creating solutions to meet the challenges and opportunities they provide. We further support employee service on an individual basis at industry and trade events worldwide. External advisory councils are also a key component of our thought leadership strategy. Ongoing dialogue and investment in measuring stakeholder satisfaction through customer and employee surveys allow us to make important improvements to retain our customers and talented teams, and to make a valuable contribution to sustainable development.

Code of conduct - Zurich Basics

All our efforts are united by our code of conduct, the Zurich Basics. It is the backbone of what we do and sets the framework for how we deliver on our business goals. Our basic values of integrity, customer centricity, sustainable value creation, excellence and teamwork guide our actions, and we expect all our employees to live up to them in both letter and spirit. Each one of us has to play a role in addressing important and relevant economic, environmental and social issues in our day-to-day business.