Sustainability

Being sustainable is fundamental to the way we do business at NZI.

Bringing the future into today’s decisions makes pretty good sense to us, and enables us to be here for the long term. That’s to the benefit of our customers, the community, our employees, suppliers, shareholders and the environment.

NZI takes a balanced approach to business sustainability across five key dimensions:

Our investment in our Auckland-based head office, the NZI Centre on Fanshawe Street, is a great example of these dimensions coming together to create an open and united space for our employees and customers. The building’s not only architecturally magnificent but also environmentally considerate - It achieved a 5 star Green Star rating on both design and interior fit-out.

It has extensive green and smart features, including a living roof and passive rainwater collection for use in the toilet facilities. It provides economic benefits through reduced electricity use and improvements in staff well-being and productivity, plus our people enjoy working in a building that supports a collaborative culture.

Customers

Our relationship with our customers extends beyond paying claims. We aim to anticipate and respond to our customers’ changing needs, help to reduce risk to avoid unnecessary hardships, and keep premiums affordable. Investing in these areas will ensure we deliver innovative products and services to meet the needs of New Zealanders for years to come.

Our people

We look after our people by building a supportive culture and providing a range of employee benefits. Investing in our culture includes attracting and retaining the right people with the right capabilities, to meet current and future business requirements. Proud, engaged and motivated people are more likely to go above and beyond to help our customers each day.

Community

We invest in community partnerships that promote safety and resilience through effective risk management, reducing unnecessary hardships and allowing for more affordable insurance. This creates a better economic outcome for everyone, which in turn enables us to invest further in the community and address insurance affordability throughout New Zealand.

NZI is the Sustainability Superstar category sponsor of the Sustainable Business Awards and has been a partner in developing initiatives rewarding sustainable business practice.

These initiatives include:

  • The annual Sustainable Business Awards, which recognise exceptional efforts New Zealand businesses are making to be sustainable.
  • Greenlist, a free listing service to help people and businesses list and find sustainable products and services.
  • Get Sust Online, an online sustainability assessment tool for businesses.

Natural environment

We’re managing the environment’s impact on our business, as well as our impact on the environment. As our properties, communities and livelihoods become more vulnerable to the risk of increasingly severe natural perils, it makes sense to share our knowledge to encourage greater resilience.

Economic performance

We deliver sustainable financial returns by anticipating and managing external and internal influencers of our financial performance.

Our economic performance underpins our ability to deliver value, not only to our shareholders, but to all those who rely on us, including customers, communities, our workforce and the natural environment.

Delivering on our commitments

NZI, as part of Insurance Australia Group (IAG), is a founding signatory to a number of commitments, including the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance. 

We track our progress against these commitments and report annually to our stakeholders. The IAG Annual Report is accessible online.

IAG takes part in external benchmarking activities to capture feedback on what we’re doing well and where we can improve. We’re proud to be recognised for our sustainable business commitments.