Sociedad de Seguros de Vida del Magisterio Nacional, a Costa Rican life insurer, embarked on an environmental stewardship journey in 2013, aligning its operations with Costa Rica’s decarbonisation ambitions. Through its “I Think Green” programme, the company promotes responsible resource consumption and waste management, extending its educational outreach to schools. Key initiatives include the Green Building Project and the Waste Recovery Project, which integrate sustainability within its business strategy and operational practices. The insurer also engages in reforestation volunteering and conducts Carbon Inventory projects in educational centres, showcasing a holistic approach to environmental conservation and community education. This proactive stance underscores the insurer’s broader commitment to corporate responsibility, climate action, and fostering a greener economy in Costa Rica.
Sociedad de Seguros de Vida del Magisterio Nacional, a Costa Rica-based life insurer, has been working to make Costa Rica greener. In 2013, the company began its journey to improve the environment in Costa Rica, and since then then it has undertaken several initiatives to reduce the company’s impact on the environment whilst also educating and encouraging its staff and the wider community to be more environmentally conscious.
Carbon neutrality
Every year since 2014, in conjunction with efforts made by the Costa Rican authorities to achieve the decarbonisation of the country’s economy, Sociedad de Seguros keeps track of its greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and is working on reducing them where possible. The insurer also compensates for the emissions that it is unable to reduce through offsetting. Offsetting is done through the purchasing of carbon credits from the National Forestry Financing Fund (FONAFIFO).
Sociedad de Seguros de Vida has maintained carbon neutrality since 2014, complying with the standard for demonstrating Carbon Neutrality, INTE B5, and being part of the country’s Carbon Neutrality Programme (PPCN 2.0).
I Think Green
The I Think Green program (Yo Pienso Verde) promotes conscious consumption of water, electricity and proper waste management, all of which count towards a reduction in carbon footprint.
The activities has taken to reduce its carbon footprint include:
- The Waste Recovery Project: employees separate waste as soon as it is generated. They have separate waste collection stations, constant training for employees and a committed team of care takers to manage the waste materials.
- The Green Building Project: reducing the environmental impact of the head office by improving its infrastructure including:
- Switching to more efficient electrical equipment and water appliances.
- Installation of solar panels.
- Construction of new sustainable branches and offices: these premises are LEED certified and leading examples in terms of energy efficiency and sustainable design.
- Exchanging conventional cars for hybrid ones.
Bringing the I Think Green program to educational centres and suppliers
The program also seeks to educate people about the environment and in 2020, Sociedad de Seguros de Vida achieved the highest accreditation of the Country Carbon Neutrality programme (PPCN), carbon neutrality plus, thanks to its implementation of the carbon footprint measurement project in educational centres. Applications are accepted annually from educational centres across the country wishing to be part of the programme and some schools are invited to participate in the programme directly by the insurer. There are no requirements for the schools to join the programme beyond the desire to reduce their environmental impact.
Every year the company works with new educational centres to provided training on environmental education, using the method of “training trainers” each institution shares the knowledge, sowing the seed of environmental change in all the education workers and their students, securing a time sustainable program, even when the program finishes with the coaching of the Sociedad de Seguros de Vida.
However, since 2022, the programme has been conducted through virtual courses on an online platform, allowing the participants to access the information and lessons in their own time, on demand. In 2023, the topics covered were expanded, giving it a more comprehensive approach, to include management of organic and inorganic waste, climate change and measurement of carbon footprint, water and energy efficiency and organic gardening with the objective of serving the vegetables they produce in student canteens.
Sociedad de Seguros de Vida is also developing a series of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, which along with bringing the I Think Green program to educational centres, adds to the efforts to expand social responsability to different actors through creating a guide on implementing good environmental practices aimed at organisations and institutions, which has been made available to all who need it, in an effort to continue the efforts of organisations to decarbonise the economy.
The organization has also been looking to work with suppliers that have good environmental practices. To achieve this, the Sociedad de Seguros de Vida has rules and requirements that must be fulfilled by the suppliers, and then give them feedback about some topics that they can improve later.
In 2023, I Think Green celebrates its 10th anniversary and in the last ten years it has implemented 150 environmental education programmes, trained more than 3,000 educators in proper waste management and carbon footprint reduction and impacted more than 75,000 students since its inception. The programme has also been extended through training for suppliers, educational institutions, and trade unions, with the aim of increasing awareness and involving as many stakeholders as possible.
The Carbon Inventory Project has been running parallel to the programme since 2021. The insurer is working with educational centres to survey their carbon footprint with the aim of obtaining the Carbon Inventory recognition from the PPCN. To date, three educational centres have achieved this recognition.
Published September 2023
Volunteering
Every year, Sociedad de Seguros de Vida runs volunteering opportunities for employees, often in conservation areas, in collaboration with the Association of Volunteers for Service in Protected Areas (ASVO), so that employees can experience a closer relationship with nature. The volunteers help maintain several areas of conservation, including the maintenance of trails and the planting of trees in forests; to cleaning beaches and protecting species such as sea turtles, and therefore helping to halt the loss of biodiversity. The organisation has also carried out reforestation volunteer work at farms.
Embedding sustainability in strategy
Sociedad de Seguros de Vida set targets within its business strategy which relate to the reduction of water, energy and paper usage, waste generation, reduction of GHG emissions, volunteering opportunities, institutional training and in education centres. These activities act as an indicator to monitor the progress and the insurer’s contribution towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Climate Action, while their work on cleaning beaches and sea turtle conservation contributes towards SDG 14, Life Below Water. I Think Green allows the organisation to instil the need for and importance of climate action in its employees, as well as to a wider audience through educational centres.
The goal is to promote the knowledge of basic concepts and good practices regarding waste management and reducing climate impact. I Think Green encourages climate action through individual commitments, through which institutions and communities undertake a sustainable and healthy lifestyle for the planet.
Sustainability and cooperative and mutual purpose
For this company, it is fundamental that its management system and strategy considers the triple bottom line: economic, social and environmental dimensions as stated in its sustainability policy. Its strategic objectives are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which seek to eradicate inequality, protect the planet and guarantee human rights for the entire global population. By establishing its sustainability policy, Sociedad de Seguros de Vida implies that all activities carried out, both internally and externally, seek to be efficient in their use of resources.
Projects and programmes that improve the quality of life of members and their beneficiaries are also implemented with these principles in mind. The insurer is committed to reducing any negative impact on the environment through training which is transferred to its stakeholders. Sociedad de Seguros de Vida is contemplating the path towards sustainable development based on anticipating risk and impacts, which, if not managed, would affect the business and its profitability. It is also the company's responsibility to society and its stakeholders, hence the link with its mission and vision.
Sustainability is key to the process, because it allows continuity to be given to those strategic actions that are developed, having a direct positive impact on present needs and those of future generations.
About Sociedad de Seguros de Vida del Magisterio Nacional
Sociedad de Seguros de Vida del Magisterio Nacional (SSVMN or National Teachers’ Life Insurance Society in English) was founded in 1920 by a teacher named Alejandro Rodriguez, who was also the initiator of the Law of Mutual Assistance of Teachers in Costa Rica, providing economic support to retired teachers based on the principles of mutuality. The insurer offers life insurance and complementary services such as credits, subsidies and the provision of orthopaedic equipment.
