Acting as a sustainable business
We act to embed sustainability into the way we run our business.
We want to make our industry work better for everybody.
Aviva aims to act as a trusted sustainability leader. Our actions focus on providing purposeful proposition choice, being the employer of choice, and protecting human rights while maintaining good governance.
Good governance
Sustainability influences every aspect of our leadership decisions and day-to-day business activities.
Our clear policies and robust governance structure ensure high standards across our operations.
Sustainability governance
In January 2025, the executive-level Aviva Sustainability Ambition Executive Committee (formally known as the Aviva Sustainability Ambition Steering Committee from 2021 to 2024) was established to continue to drive an effective, consistent delivery of the Aviva Sustainability Ambition (ASA) across Aviva.
The Aviva Sustainability Ambition Executive Committee has delegated authority from the Customer & Sustainability Committee.
The Aviva Group Sustainability function provides sustainability expertise to enable delivery and co-ordination of local activity across Aviva’s markets and functions.
There is a clear individual executive accountability for all the sustainability policies.
Our Chief Sustainability Officer leads the Aviva Group Sustainability Team and reports to Aviva’s Chief Brand and Corporate Affairs Officer, who is the Aviva Group Executive Committee member responsible for corporate responsibility and sustainability.
Sustainability factors are included in Senior Executive long-term incentive plans
You can read more about our governance in our annually published Climate-Related Financial Disclosure.
Business ethics
The high standards of ethical behaviour we expect are outlined in the Aviva Business Ethics Code.
We require all our people, at every level, to read and sign-up to our Code every year.
Supply chains
We work hard to make sure our supply chain is responsible and sustainable.
We do thorough checks of suppliers before we begin working with them. We also ask them to sign our Supplier Code of Behaviour.
We continue to engage them around sustainability issues over time. We try to influence our suppliers to act now around the big issues like climate change.
Becoming the employer of choice
We're committed to being a great place to work for the benefit of our colleagues and our customers.
Diversity and inclusivity
Creating a diverse, inclusive organisation is a fundamental part of living up to our purpose of being with you today, for a better tomorrow.
It means being there for all our people, serving all our customers well, and helping to contribute to fairer, more equal communities.
We are determined to keep challenging ourselves to do more to build a workplace – and society – that works for all.
Living wage, pensions and hours
We pay the Living Wage and Living Pension in the UK.
We support the Living Hours campaign, which provides security of working hours.
Our support for human rights
We respect human rights.
We continue to pursue our anti-modern slavery agenda - within our operations and supply chain, and through our partnerships.
We continue to work across sectors to encourage business action and disclosure on Human Rights and Modern Slavery.
Our tax contribution
As one of the UK’s largest companies, the tax we pay helps support a sustainable economy. In 2023, we contributed £3.3 billion of taxes globally.
In 2022/2023 we were the 11th largest tax contributor in the UK1. We contributed £2.6 billion in 2023, made up of £0.4 billion of tax paid and £2.2 billion of tax collected.
We also pay extra tax to governments around the world.
1 Based on PwC analysis of the 100 Group Total Tax Contribution Survey, published December 2023
Dormant assets
Despite companies’ best efforts, millions of ‘lost pounds’ go unclaimed. We support the UK Government’s Dormant Assets Commission’s objective of financial services companies’ protecting customer’s rights by trying to find them and reuniting them with their funds.
First and foremost, this is customers’ money. However, when funds are truly dormant, we’re hoping to find ways to make better use of the money for societal good.
Our ESG ratings, accreditations, awards and memberships
Memberships
We partner with a variety of organisations to share best practice and help us develop toward achieving our shared social and environmental aims.
The Power of Communication
The Public Affairs Code applies the principles that public affairs practitioners should be open and transparent in their dealings with parliamentarians or representatives of institutions of government; and that there should be no financial relationship between them.
Principles for Sustainable Insurance
The Principles for Sustainable Insurance provide a global roadmap to develop and expand the innovative risk management and insurance solutions.
Principles for Responsible Investment
Principles for Responsible Investment is a United Nations-supported international network of investors working together to implement its six aspirational principles. Aviva Investors and Aviva Staff Pension Trustee are signatories.
RE100
RE100 is a global initiative bringing together the world’s most influential businesses driving the transition to 100% renewable electricity.
Armed Forces Covenant
The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
Powering Past Coal Alliance
The Powering Past Coal Alliance is a group of 122 countries, cities, regions and organisations aiming to accelerate the fossil-fuel phase out of coal-fired power stations, except the very few which have carbon capture and storage.
Prompt Payment Code
The Prompt Payment Code sets the gold standard in payment terms and plays an important role in bringing about a culture change in payment practices.
The UN Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact is a non-binding United Nations pact to encourage businesses and firms worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on their implementation.
Finance for Biodiversity Pledge
We are one of 55 financial institutions from 15 countries that has signed the Finance for Biodiversity Pledge, calling on world leaders to reverse nature loss and commit to making a positive contribution to biodiversity.
Plain Numbers
Plain Numbers enables regulated firms to better support their customers who struggle with numbers. Helping firms communicate numbers more clearly means customers can make an informed choice.
All In Champions
The ‘All In’ campaign is an industry-wide initiative to ensure that everyone with a role in UK advertising feels they belong. The Advertising Association has awarded us Champion status for how we’ve adopted each of the All In actions.
IFRS Sustainability Alliance
The IFRS Sustainability Alliance combines the SASB Alliance and Integrated Reporting Business Network into a more expansive membership than ever before. It is a diverse global network of members who explore and develop best practices related to sustainability standards and integrated reporting.
Institute of Business Ethics
The Institute of Business Ethics was established in 1986 to promote high standards of business behaviour based on ethical values. They raise awareness of business ethics through the dissemination of knowledge and good practice.
ClimateWise
Representing a growing global network of leading insurance industry organisations, ClimateWise helps to align its members’ expertise to directly support society as it responds to the risks and opportunities of climate change.
Slave-Free Alliance
Slave-Free Alliance is a social enterprise and membership initiative launched by anti-slavery charity Hope for Justice.
The Global Investors for Sustainable Development
The focus of the Alliance is to deliver concrete solutions to scale-up long-term finance and investment in sustainable development.
The Employer’s Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA)
EIDA is a UK based charity with the mission to enable employers to take action on domestic abuse – raising awareness among all employees, supporting those facing domestic abuse, and providing access to services to help perpetrators to stop.
ESG Ratings
Benchmarking companies and award committees judge Aviva based on independently gathered environment, social and governance insight and data.
Carbon Disclosure Project
CDP runs the global environmental disclosure system. Each year, CDP takes the information supplied in its annual reporting process and scores companies and cities based on their journey through disclosure and towards environmental leadership. As of year-end 2023, Aviva received an A- rating.
MSCI
MSCI provides ESG Ratings on companies on a scale of AAA (leader) to CCC (laggard), according to exposure to industry specific ESG risks and the ability to manage those risks relative to peers. As of August 2024, Aviva received an MSCI ESG Rating of AAA.
Sustainalytics
Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Ratings measure a company’s exposure to industry specific material ESG risks and how well a company is managing those risks. They provide a quantitative measure of unmanaged ESG risk and distinguish between five levels: negligible, low, medium, high and severe. As of August 2023, Aviva received an ESG Risk Rating of 14.2 and was assessed to be at low risk of experiencing material financial impacts from ESG factors.
Copyright ©2022 Sustainalytics. All rights reserved. Their use is subject to conditions available at https://www.sustainalytics.com/legal-disclaimers.
FTSE4Good
The FTSE4Good Index Series is designed to measure the performance of companies demonstrating strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. As of July 2024, FTSE Russell confirms that Aviva has been independently assessed according to the FTSE4Good criteria and has satisfied the requirements to become a constituent of the FTSE4Good Index Series.
S&P Global
S&P Global ESG Scores provide a depth and breadth of ESG insight, built upon multiple layers of ESG data, and underpinned by a rich bedrock of underlying data intelligence captured by the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). As of December 2023, Aviva scores within the 96th percentile for the insurance industry achieving inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices.
ISS
The ISS ESG Corporate Rating provides relevant and forward-looking environmental, social, and governance data. It integrates a detailed assessment of the sustainability impact of operations based on risk exposure and an assessment of management approaches regarding material sustainability risks along the entire value chain. As of May 2022, Aviva received a C+ rating achieving Prime status and scoring within the top decile.
Accreditations
The Good Shopping Guide
The Good Shopping Guide by the Ethical Company aims to help people make informed decisions about which brands are best for the planet, animals and people world-wide.
The Good Business Charter
The Good Business Charter gives accreditation to businesses that promote and implement ethical practices across 10 key focus areas.
RoSPA Gold Medal
RoSPA Gold Award winners have achieved a very high level of performance, demonstrating well developed occupational health and safety management systems and culture, outstanding control of risk and very low levels of error, harm and loss.
Awards
PWC’s Building Public Trust Awards 2021 and 2022
Winner of Climate Change reporting in the FTSE 350
Global Good Awards 2021 and 2022
Gold winners 2021 and Silver winners 2022 for Climate Action, race to net zero.
Third Sector Business Charity Awards 2022
Challenge Event of the Year winner. Team Aviva and friends fundraising for Pancreatic Cancer UK in memory of Rutty and Paula.
The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality Awards
Named in the Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality seven years running. Compiled by gender equality experts at Business in the Community.
The FS Awards
The FS Awards celebrate excellence in financial services and recognise the brightest minds. Aviva was awarded the Sustainable Finance Award in 2022.
Irish Pension Awards 2022
Winners of the Innvoation Award for our Multi-Asset ESG Fund Range.
Business and Finance ESG Awards 2022
Winners of the Net Zero Award for our Net Zero 2040 program.