Allianz Group reconfirmed as international sustainability leader

Sydney, 2 February 2009

Allianz SE has been recognised as one of the most sustainable insurance companies in the world by ‘The Sustainability Yearbook 2009’, which assesses companies’ economic, environmental and social sustainability and is the world’s most comprehensive publication on corporate sustainability.

The Yearbook is published by Sustainable Asset Management (SAM), a Dow Jones Sustainability Index Rating Company, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Nicholas Scofield, General Manager Corporate Affairs, said “we are honoured that the Allianz Group has once again been recognised as the world’s most sustainable primary insurer by having the SAM Gold Class Award bestowed on it by ‘The Sustainability Yearbook 2009’.”

In compiling the Yearbook, the 2500 largest companies in the world, as reflected in the Dow Jones Global Index, are invited each year to participate in SAM’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment. Only the top-scoring 15% of those companies in each of the sectors assessed by SAM are included in the Sustainability Yearbook.

In 2009, 367 companies were included in the Yearbook of which only 213 were recognised as Gold (81), Silver (58) or Bronze (74) Class. Allianz was one of only two companies in the Insurance Sector, the other a reinsurer, to achieve SAM Gold Class status.

According to Mr Scofield “Allianz is particularly pleased to be recognised by the Sustainability Yearbook because it confirms that, as a company, we are heading in the right direction across a broad spectrum of activities. While the word ‘sustainability’ is often used in an environmental context, the SAM assessment scores companies on their economic, environmental and social sustainability, hence, recognising that successful companies need to balance a range of objectives.”

A SAM Gold Class company is one that has been identified as being better positioned to benefit from the opportunities, and manage the risks, associated with the future economic, environmental and social developments in its sector.

Statistical analysis carried out by SAM and reported in the 2009 Yearbook shows a positive relationship between sustainability and financial performance. Moreover, the results were shown to be valid in both bull and bear markets. According to the Yearbook “by investing their assets in sustainability leaders, investors not only enhance their financial returns but also directly contribute to addressing some of the pressing issues related to sustainable development by investing in responsible corporate citizens.”¹

Concluding, Mr Scofield said “with only two companies in the insurance sector achieving the SAM Gold Class award, and Allianz the only primary insurer, this honour rightly allows the Allianz Group to claim to be one of the world’s most sustainable insurance companies.”

Media enquiries

Allianz Australia

Best General Insurance Company 2006*
Best General Insurance Company 2007*

The Allianz Australia Group operates in Australia and New Zealand. It is one of Australia’s largest general insurers, a leading private workers’ compensation insurer, and also provides life insurance.

Allianz Australia delivers a wide range of personal, commercial and corporate insurance products and services. AAL is proud to be of service to more than 2 million policy holders and over 50% of Australia’s top 200 BRW listed companies have some form of insurance cover with the group.

Allianz Australia has approximately 3300 staff. In 2007, the company achieved a gross written premium exceeding AU$2.4 billion and investment assets of approximately AU$5.5 billion. Allianz Australia Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of the worldwide Allianz Group, one of the world’s largest financial services companies.


Allianz’s commitment to social, environmental and economic sustainability has been acknowledged ‎internationally by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, which recognised Allianz as the most ‎sustainable general insurer in the world in 2007. In Australia, Allianz is a member of the Greenhouse ‎Challenge Plus program, which is a cooperative partnership between industry and the Australian ‎Government that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.‎

*Australian Banking and Finance Insurance Awards

---

¹ The Sustainability Yearbook 2009, Sustainable Asset Management and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, p12.