Embedding sustainability
Ensuring sustainability is integral to how we do business
We want to make our industry work better for everybody.
To achieve our ambition, we need to embed sustainability into every part of our business. From how we make decisions to how we act and communicate, Aviva’s Sustainability Ambition will help guide our actions as a company to create a brighter future for everyone.
Good governance across the business
Sustainability issues influence every aspect of our leadership decisions and day-to-day business activities. We have clear policies and a robust governance structure in place to ensure high standards across fundamental issues like supporting employee rights and wellbeing, upholding human rights and ensuring our supply chain is responsible and sustainable.
In 2021 we established the executive level Aviva Sustainability Ambition Steering Committee to drive and monitor the delivery of our plan and targets. The Aviva Sustainability Ambition Steering Committee has delegated authority from the Group Executive Committee. The Sustainability function, which reports to the Aviva Executive, provides sustainability expertise to enable delivery and coordination of local activity across Aviva’s markets and functions. Crucially, there is clear individual executive accountability for all the sustainability policies. ESG factors are included in senior executive long term incentive plans.
Managing risk
We have chosen to accept the risks inherent in our four core business lines and our risk committee oversees all aspects of risk management in the Group.
Stakeholder engagement
As a business that’s been around for over 320 years we have learnt to listen hard to our stakeholders, working with them to tackle the big challenges and identify risks and opportunities.
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, and ask that they sign our Supplier Code of Behaviour.
We continue to engage them around sustainability issues over time. We also help influence our suppliers to act now around the big issues like climate change.
Sustainable decision making
We consider sustainability issues in our leadership decisions and in our day-to-day business activities. We have a robust and clear governance structure in place to direct and oversee this. We have a Group-level Sustainability team which reports to Aviva’s Chief Brand and Corporate Affairs Officer, who is the Aviva Group Executive Committee member responsible for corporate responsibility and sustainability. You can read more about our governance in our Climate-related Financial Disclosure 2023.
Diverse and inclusive workplace
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.