Measuring our progress | Corporate | Zurich Insurance
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Measuring our progress on responsible business practices

To ensure continuous improvement in our performance on responsible business practices, we have defined key performance indicators (KPIs) for our corporate responsibility focus areas. Zurich’s corporate responsibility KPIs in the Corporate responsibility highlights 2017 report have been independently assured by an external auditor (Pricewaterhouse Coopers AG). The resulting limited assurance statement is available on page 24. In addition, our environmental management system has received ISO 14001 certification for our Swiss operations.

Zurich has mapped its reporting content to the GRI standards. Read more.

  • Responsible investment
    Responsible investment KPIs 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2011 baseline 
    External asset managers who are signatories to PRI (%)1 71.0% 74.1% 70.4% 67.9% 58.3%  50%
    Group assets managed by PRI signatories (%)2 97.2% 97.7% 98.1% 98.8% 95.1% 92.2% 
    Total amount of impact investments (USD millions)3 2,830 1,704 1,031 667 236  -
    Investment portfolio (USD millions)4 207,261 195,852 191,238 204,860 207,280 209,582 

    1 The United-Nations supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)
    2 Including assets managed by Zurich
    3 Impact investments in 2017 consisted of: green bonds (USD 2.41 billion), social and sustainability bonds (USD 303 million), and investments committed to private equity funds (USD 116 million, thereof 38 percent drawn down)
    4 Starting in 2017, the investment portfolio is calculated on a market basis, and is different from the total Group investments reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements, which is calculated on an accounting basis and doesn't include cash and cash equivalents. 2016 numbers have been restated accordingly.


    Real estate investment KPIs Target 20166 2015 2014 2013 2012 2010 baseline
    Impact of real estate investment: Energy consumption (kWh per sqm)5
    -20% by 2020 (vs. baseline)    		 117 121 124 126 126 127
    Impact of real estate investment: CO2e emissions (kg per sqm)5 29 30 31 32 32 32

    5 Scope includes real estate investments in Switzerland (54% of global direct real estate investment value). Buildings in the real estate investment portfolio are largely not used by Zurich. The environmental footprint of Zurich's own-use real estate is reported in Zurich's environmental section. The data are based on meter readings and energy supplier information and are heating degree adjusted. The baseline differs from data reported until 2013, in which data was solely extrapolated from energy bills and was not heating degree adjusted.
    6 Impact of real estate investment data 2017 will be available in Q1 2019

  • Community investment
    Community Investment KPIs Target 2017 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
    Contributions (cash in USD millions)1 - 6.6 1.6 1.5 0.8 0.8
    of which contribution from employees (USD millions) - 3.1 0.7 0.6 0.3 0.4
    of which contribution from the Z Zurich Foundation (USD millions) - 1.2 0.9 0.9 0.6 0.4
    of which matching contributions from Zurich business units (USD millions)2 - 2.4 0.1 - - -
    Total time volunteered from workforce (Business hours)1 150,000 128,062 44,225 31,040 33,210 28,000
    of which skills based time volunteered (Business hours)2 15,000 22,579 4,039 - - -
    Workforce actively volunteering (% of total Headcount)3 - N/A 32.4% 31.1% 27.0% 24.0%
    Total charitable cash contributions (USD millions)4 - 23.1 29.6 22.6 22.7 17.0

    1 The scope of Community investment contributions has been broaden to include all employee donations and matching in 2017, while previously it was only including Community Week activities.
    2 Newly in scope for reporting in 2017, prior year restated accordingly (2016).
    3 We are currently enhancing our tracking systems, enabling us to track data more effectively. In the transition, no data is available for 2017.
    4 Charitable contributions include corporate cash donations only. Contributions cover 100% of our Group’s business units and the Z Zurich Foundation. Contributions of the Z Zurich Foundation are valued on a cash-out basis. Excluded are the Farmers Exchanges, which are owned by their policyholders and managed by Farmers Group Inc a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Insurance Group Ltd, and contributions made by Zurich employees.

    All amounts are rounded to the nearest USD 100,000 with the consequence that the rounded amounts may not add up to the rounded totals in all cases.
  • Environmental performance

    After exceeding the target to reduce emissions per employee by 50 percent,and energy per employee by 40 percent, in 2016 (compared to 2007), Zurich has set new targets to reduce emissions and energy by 20% by 2025, against a new baseline year (2015). Zurich has been operating carbon neutral since 2014. Read more.

    Environmental KPIs - CO2e emissions Target 2017 2016 2015 baseline 2014 (reference year)
    CO2e emissions per employee (metric tons per FTE) -20% by 2025 (against baseline year) 2.06 2.08 2.43 2.47
    of which CO2e emissions related to facilities (metric tons per FTE)1 -20% by 2025 (against baseline year) 1.09 1.08 1.18 1.28
    Of which CO2e emissions related to travel (metric tons per FTE)2 -20% by 2025 (against baseline year) 0.97 1.00 1.24 1.19

    1 Includes emissions from Zurich offices and in-house data centers (electricity and heat)
    2 Includes emissions from air travel, rail, and cars (rental cars and car fleet)

    Environment KPIs - renewable electricity Target 2017 2016 2015 baseline 2014 (reference year)
    Renewable electricity out of total electricity consumption (%)1 Purchase certified renewable electricity wherever economically and operationally feasible 54% 57% 56% 52%

    1 All renewable electricity must be verified with an official certificate e.g. Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) or Guarantee of Origin (GO).

    Environment KPIs - energy consumption Target 2017 2016 2015 baseline 2014 (reference year)
    Energy consumption / FTE (MWh)1 -20% by 2025 (against baseline year) 3.97 4.18 4.32 4.29

    1 Includes both actual and extrapolated energy (electricity and heating).

    Environment KPIs - paper consumption Target 2017 2016 2015 baseline 2014 (reference year)
    FSC certified copy paper (%) Achieve and maintain at least 80 percent FSC certified paper purchased compared to 2015 levels 38% 43% 68% 46%
    Environment KPIs – business travel distance Target 2017 2016 2015 baseline 2014 (reference year)
    Kilometers business travel n/a 287,184,552 296,944,190 371,799,555 345,677,186
    Environment KPIs – waste Target 2017 2016 2015 baseline 2014 (reference year)
    Metric tons waste n/a 3,378 3,056 3,296 3,461
    Environment KPIs – water Target 2017 2016 2015 baseline 2014 (reference year)
    Million cubic meters water n/a 0.31 0.28 0.31 0.34

    Click here for an overview of Zurich’s historic results 2007-2016.

  • Our people
    Our people - operational KPIs 2017 2016 Change 2015 2014 2013 2012
    Total number of employees - headcount 53,146 53,894 (1.4%) 55,732 55,969 56,565 56,781
    Total number of employees - FTE (Full Time Equivalents) 51,633 52,473 (1.6%) 54,335 54,551 55,102 55,312
    Employee turnover rate (%)1 14.7% 16.5% (1.7 pts) 12.9% 12.4% 12.3% 12.7%
    Average tenure (years) 9.8 9.9 (1.0%) 9.6 9.3 9.4 9.4

    1 Chile sales force agents excluded

    Talent retention KPIs 2017 2016 Change 2015 2014 2013 2012
    Group Voluntary Turnover 7.5% 8.2% (0.7 pts) - - - -
    Technical Functions Voluntary Turnover1 7.1% 8.7% (1.5 pts) - - - -

    1 Technical Functions include Claims, Underwriting and Risk Engineering

    Organizational health and diversity KPIs 2017 2016 Change 2015 2014 2013 2012
    Female workforce participation (%) 50.6% 51.1% (0.5 pts) 51.9% 52.1% 52.6% 52.6%
    Female participation in Leadership Team (%) 21.0% 16.2% 4.8 pts 13.7% 15.0% 16.0% 16.0%
    OHI survey participation rate (%)1 75.0% - - - - - -
    Global engagement survey participation rate (%)1 - - - 71.0% - 74.0% -
    Employee engagement score (%)2 62.0% - - 68.0% - 65.0% -

    1 The Organizational Health Index (OHI) has replaced the former global employee engagement survey - or Voice of Employee (VoE) - from 2017.
    2 The Employee engagement score has been calculated on the basis of the OHI from 2017, and on the basis of the VoE until then.

    Learning & development KPIs 2017 2016 Change 2015 2014 2013 2012
    Employees with active Individual Development Plan (%)1 59.7% 65.3% (5.6 pts) 66.2% 74.5% 75.5% 74.1%
    Active learners (%)2 94.9% 95.0% (0.0 pts) 93.8% 98.8% 96.9% 89.6%

    1 Employees under scope have an active performance management status
    2 Employees who have taken at least one course during the year reported. Farmers Management is not included in the KPI scope.

    All people KPIs reported cover 100% of our Group's business units. Excluded are Bolivia, and the Farmers Exchanges, which are owned by their policyholders and managed by Farmers Group Inc a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Insurance Group Ltd.