At its core, Univé defines sustainability as meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. This definition emphasises a dual responsibility: addressing external factors that impact the company’s long-term value creation and contributing meaningfully to societal and environmental well-being.

By distinguishing between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors and SDGs, Univé ensures a structured and balanced approach to sustainability. ESG themes focus on risk and corporate behaviour, while SDGs highlight how the company contributes positively to global goals.

Building on the European Green Deal

The European Green Deal serves as a cornerstone of Univé’s sustainability framework, inspiring its priorities and aligning strategies with regulatory directives. Key components include:

• Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD): Requiring transparency on ESG-related impacts and actions.
• Solvency II requirements: Ensuring sustainability considerations are embedded in financial and risk assessments.
• Key themes of the Green Deal: Climate action, biodiversity preservation, and social inclusivity guide the company’s focus areas.

Prioritised sustainability goals

To create meaningful impact, Univé has identified four primary sustainability themes:

1. Carbon emissions reduction: Aiming to achieve significant CO₂ reductions across its investment and underwriting portfolios, with a clear distinction between carbon-neutral and net-zero pathways.
2. EU taxonomy compliance: Ensuring products and investments meet green and sustainable criteria as defined by EU guidelines.
3. Climate resilience: Introducing climate labels to assess and enhance the resilience of insured assets to risks like flooding, drought, and extreme weather events.
4. Biodiversity protection: Addressing ecosystem restoration and preservation, closely linked to climate initiatives.

Aligning business practices with SDGs

Univé’s commitment to sustainability extends to integrating the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals into its business operations. This alignment ensures that the company’s initiatives are both measurable and impactful. Tools such as the ICMIF-calibrated Insurance SDG Calculator help Unive identify the most relevant goals and evaluate its contributions systematically.

Impact assessment for data-driven action

Univé employs comprehensive impact assessments to understand and manage risk while identifying opportunities for growth. These assessments focus on:

• Climate risks: Including sea-level rise, extreme rainfall, and heatwaves.
• Biodiversity challenges: Addressing land use, pollution, and ecosystem disruption.
• Social impacts: Identifying areas where Univé can create measurable benefits for communities and stakeholders.

By leveraging globally recognised frameworks like the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), Unive ensures that its strategies are grounded in robust methodologies.

Reshaping portfolios for sustainability

A key focus for Univé is transforming its underwriting and investment portfolios to align with sustainable practices. This includes:

• Climate and biodiversity labels: Introducing measurable classifications for assets and insured objects to track resilience and sustainability.
• Support for policyholders: Actively helping clients transition to sustainable practices rather than excluding them from coverage.
• Transparency and accountability: Publishing the sustainability profiles of products, policyholders, and investments to foster trust and accountability.

Univé is setting its sights on 2030 as a milestone year, aiming to achieve measurable progress in its sustainability initiatives. By that time, the company plans to benchmark its efforts against industry peers and establish itself as a leader in sustainable insurance practices.

With a structured approach, Univé is not only addressing immediate ESG challenges but also paving the way for long-term impact. Through innovation, transparency, and collaboration, the company is poised to make a lasting difference for its stakeholders and the planet.