Sustainable action is a matter of course for German ICMIF member R+V Versicherung. The cooperative insurer has announced this week that it has joined the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance – a global alliance of the some of the largest pension funds and insurers which are committed to a climate-neutral investment policy.
R+V says its responsible actions towards the environment, employees, customers and society also include the responsibility to counteract climate change. R+V CEO Norbert Rollinger said: “By joining the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, the leading initiative in this field, we are underlining our voluntary commitment to be climate-neutral in investment by 2050. Together with major insurers and pension funds, we are consistently committed to the development of a climate-neutral economy worldwide.”
With an investment volume of EUR 110 billion, the R+V Insurance Group has great leverage here. CFO Marc Michallet emphasised: “As a signatory of the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, we want to actively contribute to consciously managing global money flows according to sustainability criteria and thus countering the climate crisis.” Michallet is convinced that clients will also benefit from this, because sustainable investing offers not only attractive investment opportunities but also stable returns with calculable risks in the medium to long term.
Strong sign for climate neutrality
By joining the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, R+V says it is sending another strong signal for climate neutrality in capital investment. In 2020, R+V signed the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) supported by the United Nations (UN). The aim of this international investor network of asset managers, banks and insurance companies from around 80 countries is a more sustainable global financial system. Sustainability also plays an important role for the cooperative insurer in operational ecology and underwriting. By signing the UN Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI) in 2021, R+V committed itself to taking ESG criteria (ESG = Environment, Social and Governance) into account throughout the entire value chain. With its comprehensive commitment to climate neutrality, R+V is in line with the ambitious sustainability positioning of the German Insurance Association (GDV).
R+V: One of the largest insurers in Germany
With around 9 million customers, R+V Versicherung is one of the largest insurers in Germany. As part of the cooperative financial network Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken, R+V offers its customers tailor-made, innovative insurance solutions. The product range of the R+V companies includes all known insurance policies for private and corporate customers. With an investment volume of EUR 110 billion, R+V is one of the largest institutional investors in Germany. For years, in addition to security and returns, it has also been guided by ethical, social and ecological criteria. In 2022, the R+V Group generated premium income of almost EUR 20 billion euros and employs more than 17,000 people in Germany. At its headquarters in Wiesbaden, R+V is the largest private employer with around 7,000 employees.
