Pursuing climate-neutral operations is part of the a.s.r. strategy. a.s.r.’s target is to reduce direct CO₂ emissions by 50% in 2025 compared to the base year 2018. a.s.r. actively manages energy consumption, mobility waste and CO₂ emissions in order to minimize its impact on the environment. The remaining emissions are offset via Trees for All.

In 2023, the following developments contributed to reducing CO₂ emissions:

• Further electrification of a.s.r.'s lease car fleet;

• Hybrid working (40% at the office, 60% from home).

The figures in the diagram are based on a.s.r.’s head office in Utrecht and are presented in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

• ¹ Scope 2: Market based approach

Scope 1

At a.s.r., emissions from fuel and heat, cooling and leased cars fall under scope 1.

a.s.r.’s head office in Utrecht has been fully carbon-neutral since 2019 and it has not used gas since mid-2019. The office building itself is heated by means of heat pumps combined with renewable heat and cooling obtained from thermal energy storage (WKO).

In 2023, a.s.r.’s business travel was affected by changes within its lease car fleet. The increase in the share of electric cars to 79% (2022: 64%) contributed to lower emissions from the overall fleet. This was a direct result of the policy introduced in 2021 for all new lease cars to be fully electric. All lease cars are expected to be fully electric by 2026.

Scope 2¹

Emissions from electricity consumption fall under scope 2.

In 2023, a.s.r.’s head office consumed 48 kWh of purchased energy per m² (gross floor area + atriums) (2022: 47 kWh). a.s.r.’s goal is to purchase a maximum of 50 kWh/m² by 2030, in line with the Paris Agreement. a.s.r. received a certificate from the Dutch Green Building Council with the Paris Proof qualification for its office in Utrecht, as a recognition that the building meets the Paris Proof standard.

Scope 2 emissions remained at zero, since all electricity consumed was carbon-neutral. The vast proportion of this electricity is generated by European wind turbines.

a.s.r. generated part of its electricity itself using solar cells. At a total of 827,157 kWh, more electricity was generated in 2023 than in previous years, chiefly by replacing and increasing the number of solar panels.

For the second year in a row, a.s.r. supplied surplus electricity back to the grid at a total of 72,782 kWh. A restriction in the resupply of electricity to the grid prevents a.s.r. from fully resupplying the increase in excess energy it generates. a.s.r. is therefore investigating storing its surplus energy in batteries. In order to further alleviate congestion on the electricity grid, a.s.r. this year installed 250 smart charging tools on existing charging stations.

Scope 3

Emissions from mobility - excluding Scope 1 mobility (lease cars) - and waste fall under scope 3.

In 2023, CO₂ emissions increased by 1,012 tonnes compared to 2022. This increase was mainly due to increased employee travel resulting from higher office attendance after Covid-19. a.s.r. has an active travel policy to encourage its employees to make sustainable travel choices.

Compensating emissions

Compared with 2018, total reported emissions of own operations fell by 52% (2,464 tonnes), which means that a.s.r. in 2023 already achieved its savings of 50% for the 2018-2025 period.

In 2023, a.s.r. offset the emissions resulting from its scope 1, 2 and 3 activities, expressed in tonnes of CO₂ (3,859 tonnes offset) by planting 20,293 trees through certified Trees for All projects in Bolivia and Mexico. The Trees for All foundation is responsible for sustainable CO₂ sequestration in certified sustainable forest projects.

• ¹Based on the market-based approach