Annual Report 2023 - 2.6.3 Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

2.6.3Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

a.s.r. has chosen to focus on six of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These are the goals to which a.s.r. can realise the greatest impact for its stakeholders: customers, employees, investors and society.
	a.s.r. believes it is important to contribute to the prevention and resolution of financial problems. a.s.r. does this by proactively offering a solution to customers with payment arrears, and by making an active contribution to their financial self-reliance. More information is available in section 3.1.2.a.s.r. also supports people through Doenkracht, by teaching and providing support to help people with reading and arithmetic and by teaching people how to deal with money issues and keep their financial records in order.
	a.s.r. offers health and disability insurance to everyone who lives and works in the Netherlands. It contributes to the development of new medicines through impact investments. a.s.r. also works to prevent illness, It does so by helping customers and employees improve their health and vitality, through a.s.r. Vitality and various health programmes relating to exercise, sports and sleep. In addition, a.s.r. contributes to the sustainable employability of employees of customers by guiding reintegration processes and by offering preventive services to avoid (long-term) sickness, such as the annual prevention check as part of the Absenteeism Relief Insurance (Verzuim Ontzorg Verzekering). a.s.r. holds approximately 36,000 absenteeism insurances in the provincial channel, of which 9,000 are SME Absenteeism Relief Insurance policies. The prevention check is conducted annually for existing and new clients. By 2023, approximately 9,000 prevention checks will have been performed for both existing and new customers.
	a.s.r. Strives to make a positive contribution to the energy transition and combating climate change. It does so in various ways, for example through its impact investments, such as the purchase of wind farms in the Netherlands. It has also improved the sustainability of residential units in recent years, such as insulation and investments in on-site sustainable energy generation. In 2023, 2,367 solar panels were installed on existing homes, shops and offices. a.s.r. also invests in sustainable new housing.As a mortgage lender, a.s.r. offers the sustainability mortgage as a standard product with an a.s.r. mortgage. This makes it easier for customers to make their homes more sustainable, since the mortgage is covered by a reduced interest rate. The money is available for two years and the customer does not have to pay interest on the unused portion. In 2023, 31% of new mortgage customers added a sustainable component to their mortgage to make their homes more sustainable.

	As an employer, a.s.r. contributes to this goal and champions equal opportunities for all, regardless of gender, age, religious conviction, physical and mental capacity, background and sexual orientation. a.s.r. has the following targets with regard to diversity, equity and inclusion: Promoting diversity in the composition of the workforce through inflow and advancement; At least 33% of the Supervisory Board are female and at least 33% are male; At least 33% of the Executive Board are female and at least 33% are male; At least 33% of senior management are female and at least 33% are male; Participation of at least 70 people with limited labour market opportunities by 2026 through the Participation desk. a.s.r. upholds the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. a.s.r. holds an annual statistical survey on equal pay. The aim of this survey is to ensure that it offers equal opportunities to women and men, devises relevant interventions and stimulates the influx and development of women in particular, to ensure an equal ratio between men and women at all organisational levels. To understand the development of cultural diversity, a.s.r. participates in the Cultural Diversity Barometer of Statistics Netherlands. Each year, a.s.r. also conducts the Denison scan. This scan highlights cultural aspects that influence the success of a.s.r. It also measures the perception and progress of equal opportunities for women and men in the Diversity and Inclusion module. a.s.r. aims to be among the top 25% of companies in this module and to maintain this position over the next year.
	The biggest impact on this goal is made through a.s.r.'s investments. a.s.r. has therefore included in its Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) policy criteria on the climate impact of the companies it invests in and has an exit strategy for its investments in fossil fuels. a.s.r. announced the goal of reducing the carbon emissions of its own investment portfolio by 65% by 2030 (compared with 2015). a.s.r. is a member of the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative, a global platform of asset managers committed to decarbonising their investment portfolios and hence contributing to the realisation of the Paris Climate Agreement.a.s.r. also has an impact on this SDG through its P&C insurance. Insurance can be a powerful means of stimulating CO₂ reduction, making a positive contribution to the energy transition. Examples include stimulation of fossil fuel-free industry, promoting emission-free transport or green residential properties. Insurers can also help their customers to make more environmentally-aware choices by providing valuable information on reducing emissions, energy saving or the use of sustainable materials. a.s.r. joined the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance in 2022, in order to reduce CO₂ emissions in its insurance portfolio and becoming climate neutral by 2050. In 2023, a.s.r. adopted the intermediate objectives for the Non-life portfolio in 2030. More information about this can be found in section 3.1.1.
	Biodiversity is a theme that is particularly relevant for a.s.r., both positively and negatively, within the investment portfolio. a.s.r. is a signatory to the Finance for Biodiversity Pledge and is also developing biodiversity policies and targets in line with TNFD to report on the positive and negative impact on global biodiversity targets linked to a.s.r.’s investments by 2024 at the latest. This report includes an initial analysis of the nature-related impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities of the investments and of P&C. Please refer to the TNFD chapter.

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