Sustainable business

For sustainable business the following ambitions have been formulated. In 2020:

• a.s.r. is regarded as the sustainable Dutch insurer
• a.s.r. is regarded as sustainable Dutch investor, that encourages and promotes a sustainable investment policy
• a.s.r. qualifies as sustainable employer
• a.s.r. business operations are 100% carbon-neutral

• Sustainable insurer Show

  Providing security to customers is a.s.r.’s raison d’être. Customers must be able to rely on a.s.r. meeting its financial obligations at all times. Sustainable financial soundness is essential and therefore has the highest priority. a.s.r. strives to continuously improve its processes in order to provide its customers with an even better service and to be able to develop sustainable products and services with long-term value.

  This way, a.s.r. meets the needs of its customers, now and in the future. One of the ways in which a.s.r. meets these needs, is by making information and products accessible and understandable, for example by investing in easy-to-access IT platforms. In order to monitor and, where necessary, improve a.s.r.’s performance on these platforms, a.s.r. measures the Net Promoter Score (NPS), and the Customer’s Interest Dashboard of the AFM (the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets) is used.   

  • Social impact
    Besides financial soundness, a.s.r. also pays attention to the social impact of its products and services. a.s.r. for example aims to develop products and services that contribute to solving social issues. Examples of these products include: affordable occupational disability insurance, or the ‘Langer mee AOV’, developed for self-employed persons with a (physically) demanding profession, allowing them to continue doing their work through timely adjustments to the work, through education or their business until they reach the retirement age, and through the starters mortgage with a duration of 40 instead of 30 years, allowing them to buy a house with lower monthly mortgage payments. 

    In addition, a.s.r. actively engages in prevention, for example by helping customers of its Health and Disability insurance with all facets of sustainable deployability, including health and vitality. a.s.r. also likes to give its Non-life customers advice on prevention and tips on how to prevent damage. And should any damage still occur, a.s.r. will first look to see if the product can be repaired in a sustainable manner, before being replaced by a new product.
    
    
  • Focus on customer interest

    a.s.r. measures the NPS on a continual basis because customer interest has a very high priority. The NPS is measured by asking customers the following question: How likely is it that you will recommend a.s.r. to family, friends and colleagues based on your experience with me? The emphasis here lies on the staff member. The NPS states the customer loyalty measured on the basis of the recommendation intention of the customer. 

    
    

    a.s.r. sets great store on maximum transparency of products, processes and services. And therefore a.s.r. is also open on the score of the Customer’s Interest Central Dashboard (Dutch abbreviation: KBC) of the AFM. Based on various studies, this Dashboard provides insight into the extent to which the sector puts the customer interest central in products, processes and services. View a.s.r.'s score of 2018

  • a.s.r. and investment insurance 

    a.s.r. considers it important that its products suit and continue to suit the situation and needs of its customers. For this reason, a.s.r. proactively contacts its customers with investment insurance. More about actions for customers with investment insurance.

• Sustainable investor Show

  As an institutional investor, one way in which a.s.r. takes ownership of social responsibility is through the use of ethical and sustainability criteria in its investment policy. All investments managed by the Group Asset Management department are screened on the basis of the socially responsible investment (SRI) policy, focusing on aspects such as social and environmental criteria. Countries and businesses that do not meet the criteria are excluded. These include producers of controversial or offensive weapons, nuclear energy and tobacco and the gambling industry. We also require that businesses comply with international conventions on human rights and labour rights.

  a.s.r. applies criteria relating to matters such as gender equality, freedom of union and the exclusion of child labour. We believe in engagement through constructive dialogue with the businesses we invest in with the aim of increasing shareholder value and benefits to society in the long term. Where a business carries on controversial activities and dialogue does not produce a positive outcome, the business is excluded from the investment portfolio. 

  With regard to investments in sovereign debt, a.s.r. excludes countries that have a poor score in the Freedom in the World Annual Report and the Corruption Perceptions Index.

  With regard to investments in sovereign debt, a.s.r. excludes countries that have a poor score in the Freedom in the World Annual Report and the Corruption Perceptions Index. a.s.r.'s Policy for Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) has been developed to allow a.s.r. to pursue a responsible and sustainable approach, whilst minimizing any negative impact on its investment returns. For more insight into a.s.r's Investment and Engagement policies, please view the SRI policy in full.

  Do you have a complaint about our SRI policy?

  If have a complaint about the investment policy of a.s.r. and you want to contact us?  Please fill in our complaint form and we will respond to your complaint. Do you want to contact the appropriate independent institute?  Then you can send your complaint to the contact point of the AFM financial markets through the contact form.

  a.s.r. real estate

  a.s.r. real estate invests on behalf of its clients in retail properties, residential units, offices, agricultural land and estates. a.s.r. real estate seeks to make the assets in its portofolio ever more sustainable, in terms of both energy efficiency and ecological impact. Wherever possible, a.s.r. strives to achieve this at residential and commercial properties at a natural time, i.e. when major repairs are scheduled and when it is finacially expedient. Within the portfolios as many green solutions as possible are used, such as LED lightning, high-efficiency boilers, water-saving sanitary facilities and sedum roofs. More information can be found on the website a.s.r. real estate.

  Downloads

  Sustainable investor Policy

  • SRI Policy ASR Nederland N.V.
  • Detail criteria for positive screening ASR Nederland N.V.
  • Excluded companies publication
  • Excluded countries publication

  Reports

  • a.s.r. Positioning Paper on Climat Change and Energy Transition
  • Carbon Footprint Investment Portfolio Q2 2018
  • Quarterly ESG Update Q3 2018
  • Quarterly ESG Update Q4 2018
  • Quarterly ESG Update Q1 2019
  • Quarterly ESG Update Q2 2019
  • Quarterly ESG Update Q3 2019
  • Quarterly ESG Update Q4 2019

  Active ownership

  • Aandeelhoudersbetrokkenheidsbeleid a.s.r. vermogensbeheer (Dutch)
  • Voting policy
  • Proxy Voting Dashboard
  • Report on execution voting policy in 2018
  • Publication Engagement H1 2019

  Research

  • Carbon Bubble
  • Whitepaper Fur

  Convenants

  • Sustainable Investing Code
  • UNPRI Score  (Dutch)
  • IMVO convenant (Dutch website)

   

• Sustainable employer Show

  Having a talented, qualified and healthy workforce is key for a.s.r. in achieving its business objectives. That is why a.s.r. is committed to attracting, retaining and inspiring the best people, offering them extensive scope for training and development, and facilitating a sound work/life balance.

  a.s.r. aspires to be a sustainable employer by:

  • recruiting, developing and retaining the best people;
  • creating an environment of objective and transparent leadership, allowing responsibility to be given and taken;
  • ensuring a focus on trust, so that engagement and performance go hand in hand;
  • investing in the empowerment and sustainable mobility of people, both within and outside the organization.

  Sustainable employability involves ensuring that employees can continue to participate as long and as fully as possible in the labour market while retaining their vitality. Human Resources contributes to this by offering them oppertunties to develop themselves and improve their labour market prospects, both at a.s.r. and elsewhere.

  All a.s.r. employees are entitled to support for increasing their sustainable employability they can ask to receive career counselling and choose from a wide range of workshops and courses. An important precondition is that they are highly motivated and have the right skills and training. In 2017, 266 employees received sustainable employment counselling and 182 availed themselves of mobility services (redundancy programmes).

  Diversity and inclusivity

  a.s.r. is committed to an inclusive culture. For the company’s success it is important that employees are competent, but also that they are sufficiently different from one another. Difference in views, cultures, knowledge and experiences contribute to realising a.s.r.’s objectives and are used and deployed positively in innovative solutions for our customers.

  a.s.r. uses the following definition of diversity: A balanced composition of the workforce, based on age, gender, cultural or social origin, competencies, views and working styles.  Read the a.s.r. diversity policy

   or the gender diversity table of 2017/2018.

   

• Sustainable management Show

  Footprint a.s.r. headquarters

  a.s.r. seeks to minimize its impact on nature and the environment. One aspect of this is the efficient use of resources, energy and water. Furthermore, a.s.r. is actively getting to grips with waste management, mobility, energy reduction and carbon emissions. a.s.r. has the ambition to reduce its emissions by 2% annually and to remain 'climate neutral' in terms of its direct footprint of the headquarters. To achieve this, we constantly strive to reduce emissions and the remaining emissions are compensated with Gold Standard certificates.

  Downloads

  • a.s.r. energy efficiency plan (in Dutch)
  • Environmental footprint a.s.r.
  • Environmental statement a.s.r. 2018 (in Dutch)

  Sustainable taxpayer

  As a member of society a.s.r. wants to contribute its fair share to enable and maintain the very society it is part of. This is reflected in the tax strategy adopted by the Executive Board: a.s.r. aims to be a socially responsible taxpayer based on a professionally implemented tax compliance. a.s.r. does not adopt any aggressive positions for tax purposes.

  Downloads

  • Sustainable taxpayer

  Socially Responsible Procurement

  • Assessing suppliers on their impact on the society
    a.s.r. considers it important to operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. It also expects this from its suppliers.a.s.r. imposes additional requirements on its suppliers in the areas of the environment, human rights and working conditions. These requirements are part of the procurement contracts concluded between a.s.r. and its suppliers. 
  • Screening
    a.s.r. does not do business with partners involved in crime or other socially undesirable acts such as money laundering, fraud or the financing of terrorism. This may endanger its reputation and integrity. a.s.r. has a Customer Due self-reliance Diligence (CDD) policy that requires screening before a contract is signed. The contract management policy also stipulates that a screening is carried out periodically. If, in the opinion of a.s.r., there is reason to doubt the integrity of a supplier, appropriate measures are taken.

• Socially engaged Show

  a.s.r. foundation initiates projects on awareness and financial self-reliance. By teaching and supporting people in reading and arithmetic, being able to handle money and organising their financial administration, a.s.r. contributes to financial self-reliance (SDG 1). a.s.r. also adheres to and executes the ethics manifesto ‘From Debts to Opportunities’: customers who are behind on payments are approached in a timely and pro-active manner to resolve their payment problems (SDG 8). Read more about a.s.r. foundation

  Sponsoring and donation policy

  As a financial service provider, a.s.r. finds it important that people have financial continuity in their lives and that they are able to take responsible risks and make conscious financial choices. a.s.r. wants to help prevent people from getting into debt, or helping them to get out again. Back to the 'roots' of insurance. Helping by doing.

  Our sponsorship and donation policy fits in with this and is always focused on those starting points. The purely financial support does not or hardly ever occur. It is often a combination of material and substantive support.

  • Read more about our sponsoring and donations policy
  • Contact information

  Social partner of FC Utrecht football club

  Since July 2016 a.s.r. is social partner of 'FC Utrecht Maatschappelijk'. FC Utrecht Maatschappelijk wants to contribute to the vitality and improvement of financial awareness in the province of Utrecht.a.s.r. foundation wants to help people make conscious financial choices so that they do not get into debt or come out again. a.s.r. foundation specifically focus on promoting financial education for children and young people and supporting households with (risk of) problematic debts. Many FC Utrecht activities and projects fit in well with this objective. 
  
  www.fcutrecht.nl/maatschappelijk (Dutch website)

  Foundations

  a.s.r. is committed to conserving cultural and social heritage, which is why the company is involved in a number of nation-wide and local foundations. The historical library cabinet of a.s.r.-predecessor De Utrecht, for example, was given a beautiful place in our building after more than 40 years of wandering. The local ties mostly stem from the past presence of an a.s.r. division in a city or town. Read more about Foundations

• Codes and Guidelines
• asr foundation