Our governance and approach

Sustainability governance

The Executive Committee and the Board take an active role in overseeing and implementing our approach to sustainability. The Governance, Nominations and Corporate Responsibility Committee, a standing committee of the Board, reviews and approves the Group’s sustainability ambition and objectives.

The Sustainability Leaders Council, set up by the Executive Committee, ensures that we achieve our sustainability objectives. The Council comprises senior executives from across the business and is chaired by Group Head of Communications and Public Affairs.

A key aim is to embed responsible and sustainable decision making and actions into everything we do. To ensure accountability, our Executive Committee ensures that our sustainability ambition gets integrated into the business. The relevant business units and Group functions determine the approach and method for delivering the agreed-upon objectives.

Governance Nominations and Corporate Responsibility Committee

The function of the Governance Nominations and Corporate Responsibility Committee (GNCRC) is to support the Board in fulfilling its duty to establish best practices in corporate governance across the Group, to establish and maintain a process for appointing new Board and Executive Committee members and to oversee the Group’s approach and conduct with regard to sustainability.

In the area of sustainability, the GNCRC has the following responsibilities and authorities:

Review and approve the Group’s sustainability ambition and objectives;

Oversee the Group’s approach and conduct with regard to sustainability, reviewing progress against agreed actions at least annually;

Monitor legislative proposals, regulatory developments and reporting requirements relating to sustainability.

Executive Committee

The Zurich Executive Committee (ExCo) reviews Zurich’s approach to sustainability and ensures its inclusion in the Group strategy. The ExCo is accountable for the execution of Zurich’s sustainability approach. To ensure the integration of sustainability across our value chain and make sustainability part of how we do business, accountability for delivery of each key area of Zurich’s sustainability approach is assigned to the relevant ExCo member.

Our Code guides everything we do

Our Group’s Code of Conduct, is fundamental to our success. It ensures that all we do – as a business and as individuals – meets the highest ethical, legal and professional standards.

Respecting human rights

Our commitment to respect human rights is part of our Group’s Code of Conduct. “We respect the protection of international human rights within our sphere of influence, and will work hard to ensure that we are not complicit in human rights abuses”.

Zurich’s commitment to live up to the principles of the UN Global Compact

By signing the United Nations Global Compact in 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.

Anti-bribery and anti-corruption - our commitment to fair business

We are committed to fair and responsible business and prohibit all forms of bribery and corruption, as well as any business conduct that could create the appearance of improper influence. Our commitment to anti-bribery and anti-corruption is articulated in our Code of Conduct.

Policy engagement

Zurich pro-actively engages with global, regional and local policymakers, governments and opinion leaders. Through this engagement, Zurich keeps abreast of policy trends and emerging issues and shares its insurance expertise and insights to contribute to effective policy solutions.

Being a responsible taxpayer

Our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen influences both our day-to-day decisions and our long-term planning. That is why Zurich considers effective and efficient tax compliance as a key activity. We are dedicated to managing our tax affairs in a sustainable, well-governed and transparent manner.

Responsible sourcing and procurement

We aim to work with suppliers who share our values, and we expect high standards of business conduct from those who represent us or dobusiness with us. We are continually working to improve policies, processes and guidelines for managing corporate responsibility issues in the supply chain.

Information Security

Protecting data and safeguarding confidential information of all our stakeholders is a priority for Zurich.

Health and safety - our commitment

Zurich is dedicated to providing a working environment that supports employees' physical and mental health and wellbeing. Effective management of health and safety will help our employees to perform better in serving our customers, in turn creating added value for all our stakeholders.