External monitoring and indices

CDP is a not-for-profit charity that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. Through CDP we provide information on our greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and the risks and opportunities from climate change. Zurich has submitted a response since 2004. In 2018 Zurich achieved a score of B (Management level).

Read our 2019 submission

Visit the CDP website

Zurich has been participating in RobecoSAM’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment since 2007. Companies are evaluated on economic, environmental and social factors. In the 2019 assessment Zurich outperformed 99% of other companies in the insurance industry group and is a member of DJSI World and DJSI Europe.

Visit the DJSI website

Zurich subscribes to the EcoVadis CSR Performance Monitoring Platform, enabling us to share our company’s sustainability performance results with our customers and suppliers.

Visit the EcoVadis website

Zurich has been a constituent of the FTSE4Good Index Series since its inception. The FTSE4Good Index Series is designed to measure the performance of companies demonstrating strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. Our ESG Rating Absolute Score (highest score - 5) in June 2019 was 4.2.

Zurich is a constituent of the MSCI ESG Select Leaders Index. MSCI is an independent provider of research-driven insights and tools for institutional investors. As of July 2019, Zurich Insurance Group AG received an MSCI ESG Rating of AA.

"THE USE BY Zurich Insurance Group Ltd OF ANY MSCI ESG RESEARCH LLC OR ITS AFFILIATES (“MSCI”) DATA, AND THE USE OF MSCI LOGOS, TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS OR INDEX NAMES HEREIN, DO NOT CONSTITUTE A SPONSORSHIP, ENDORSEMENT, RECOMMENDATION, OR PROMOTION OF Zurich Insurance Group Ltd BY MSCI. MSCI SERVICES AND DATA ARE THE PROPERTY OF MSCI OR ITS INFORMATION PROVIDERS, AND ARE PROVIDED ‘AS-IS’ AND WITHOUT WARRANTY. MSCI NAMES AND LOGOS ARE TRADEMARKS OR SERVICE MARKS OF MSCI."

Visit the MSCI website

We became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in July 2012. This global investor initiative, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Finance Initiative and the UN Global Compact, is designed to provide a framework for better integration of environmental, social and governance factors into the investment practice.

Read more about collaborating to advance responsible investment

Visit the PRI website

Zurich’s approach to proactively address environmental, social and governance factors as part of our day-to-day business activity supports several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Read more about SDGs

Sustainalytics is a global leader in ESG and Corporate Governance research and ratings. As of September 2019, Zurich’s relative position was Leader and was rated in the 98th percentile among insurance companies assessed by Sustainalytics.

Visit the Sustainalytics website

The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI) serve as a global framework for the insurance industry to address environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities. Zurich became a signatory in 2017. Read more in our Sustainability highlights 2018 report.

Visit the UNEP FI Principles for Sustainable Insurance website

By signing the United Nations Global Compact in July 2011, we are committed to aligning our strategy, culture and day-to-day operations with the Global Compact’s ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.

Read more about United Nations Global Compact

In January 2019, Zurich was selected for the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. The 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index distinguishes companies committed to transparency in gender reporting and advancing women’s equality. The index includes firms from 10 sectors headquartered across 36 countries and regions. Collectively, these firms have a combined market capitalization of USD 9 trillion and employ more than 15 million people, of which 7 million are women, around the world.

Read more

In November 2015, Zurich became the first insurance company to be certified by the Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE). EDGE is the leading global assessment methodology and business certification standard for gender equality. It measures where organizations stand in terms of gender balance across their pipeline, pay equity, effectiveness of policies and practices to ensure equitable career flows as well as inclusiveness of their culture. As of 2019, Zurich has 11 business units in 10 countries EDGE certified, with three certified at EDGE ‘Move’ level. Zurich is the first insurance company to be awarded EDGE MOVE certification in Brazil and Mexico. Globally, we are one of only 15 brands to be recognized at the EDGE ‘Move’ level for demonstrating our progress in improving gender equality.

Read more

In January 2019, Zurich was added to the Forbes 2019 list of America's Best Employers for Diversity. The Forbes 2019 list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity includes the top 500 companies that were chosen based on an independent survey from a representative sample of 50,000 employees working for companies employing at least 1,000 people in their U.S. operations. For the majority of the company’s score, respondents were asked open-ended questions on a series of statements surrounding the topics of age, gender equality, ethnicity, disability, LGBTQ+ and general diversity concerning their own employer. The rankings were aggregated using four criteria: Direct Recommendations, Indirect Recommendations, Diversity Among Top Executives/Board Members, and Diversity KPIs.

Read more