Insurance Overview
Insurance companies supply services to a wide variety of customers, from everyday consumers to large corporations.
But do they have guidelines or policies as to who they will and won't insure? Do green and ethical considerations feature in insurance companies' risk assessments?
Might they, for example, offer coverage to munitions factories or companies with significant operations in countries with oppressive regimes? Or might they insure others with poor labour or environmental records?
Green and ethical insurance products
Green and ethical insurance products
For home, motor, travel, life and health insurance, there is a small but growing number of green and ethical insurance products available. A selection is below:
- Co-operative Insurance
Insurance type: home, motor, life and health
This provider has a comprehensive ethical engagement policy in place that governs all its insurance decisions. The Co-op's 'ecoinsurance' scheme offers cash incentives as well as environmental pledges. It offsets the equivalent of 20 per cent of the CO2 from every vehicle insured and also offers premium discounts for greener cars. - Climate Sure
Insurance type: travel
Climate Sure calculates the CO2 produced by flying overseas and pays for it to be 'offset' by funding sustainable energy projects. - Green Insurance Company
Insurance type: motor
This provider aims to offset your car's carbon emissions and offers discounts on greener cars/lower mileage. - Naturesave
Insurance types: home, travel, personal accident and illness
This company puts 10% of its personal insurance premiums in a fund (Naturesave Trust) to benefit environmental and conservation projects. It also offers a free environmental performance review for commercial clients and aims to use suppliers that support sustainable business practices. - Ansvar Insurance Co Ltd
Insurance types: home, motor, travel
Insurance is sold to individuals and organisations with a not-for-profit remit.
Your next steps
What do you do now? Check out our guide Next Steps - Insurance for suggestions on how to give your insurance policies a green and ethical makeover as well as the questions you should be asking your current or prospective insurance provider.
Insurance Search
Insurance Provider
Chelsea Building Society
Green/Ethical Products
No evidence of any specifically green or ethical products found.
Ethical Lending or Insurance
Not applicable. As a mutual building society, Chelsea Building Society's business is with private individuals. It does no offer loans to businesses.
Human Rights
Not applicable. As a mutual building society, Chelsea Building Society's business is with private individuals. It does no offer loans or insurance to businesses.
Financial Exclusion
No evidence of any accounts, products or services aimed specifically at the financially excluded.
No evidence that the building society provides direct financial support to or engages in partnerships with Credit Unions and CDFIs (Community Development Finance Institutions).
Chelsea Building Society offers branch accessibility to customers with mobility difficulties, blind & partially sighted customers and deaf, hearing-impaired and speech-impaired customers. Most branches include:
- Staff who are informed and sensitive to disability issues
- Level access or wheelchair ramps or assistance buttons at entrance
- Power assisted entrance doors
- Hearing aid induction loops
- Sign language interpreters by appointment
- Text-phone contact centres
- Account correspondence and marketing literature in alternative formats
In addition, for blind and partially sighted customers, all branches provide on request:
- Magnifiers
- Passbook identification stickers in Braille
- Different colour paper used for correspondence for those with light sensitivity issues
Correspondence, marketing materials and literature in alternative formats such as Braille, large print and audio.
No public evidence found of Chelsea Building Society’s involvement in any microfinance or microinsurance projects.
No evidence found that the building society invests in or lends at lower rates to financially excluded communities.
Environment
Chelsea Building Society’s parent company, Yorkshire Building Society, has an environmental policy that covers the key areas of climate change, energy efficiency, water use and waste management.
No evidence found of Chelsea Building Society’s commitment to continued improvement of its environmental performance.
However, Yorkshire Building Society’s careers website states:
“Our extensive recycling programme allows us to recycle up to 90% of Head Office waste and over 80% of our branch premise waste. Our commitment to purchase electricity from renewable sources continues and by the consistent monitoring of our energy usage we are reducing and eliminating wastages wherever possible.”
Carbon Neutral
No evidence found for Chelsea Building Society. However, its parent company, Yorkshire Building Society, went carbon neutral in 2007.
Equal Opportunities
According to its careers website, Chelsea Building Society’s Equal Opportunity Statement takes into consideration the key equality issues of sex, colour, sexual orientation, age, marital status, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, disability, flexible working or membership or non-membership of the Yorkshire Independent Staff Association.
Women on the Board
3/11 women hold top level board positions (27.3%)
Voluntary Standards & Initiatives
Chelsea Building Society abides by the 'The Lending Code', a voluntary code which sets the standard for good banking practice.
Charitable Giving
A community programme covers community, charity and volunteering activities for all the society’s brands (Yorkshire, Barnsley, Chelsea and Norwich & Peterborough Building Societies).
The Charitable Foundation, which was set up in 1998, is the focal point for all the Yorkshire Building Society Group charitable giving. In addition to individual donations the Charitable Foundation supports two annual campaigns each year, which are "The Charity of the Year" and "Make a Difference Week".
The charity of the year in 2012 was RNLI.
In addition to its Charitable Foundation activities, the YBS Group supports local communities and projects that are of interest to its members and staff. Member and staff may contribute as volunteers.
Chelsea Building Society
- Savings
- Mortgages
- Insurance (Home)
Chelsea Building Society
Chelsea Building Society
Yorkshire House
Yorkshire Drive
Bradford BD5 8LJ
