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
Direct Line
Green/Ethical Products
None
Ethical Lending or Insurance
No evidence of a policy on ethical insurance.
Responsible Lending
Direct Line does not lend to its customers.
Financial Exclusion
No evidence was found that Direct Line offers any insurance products to the financially excluded.
Its parent company runs the RBS Financial Inclusion Innovation Fund which provides grants to voluntary and charitable organisations including the Royal National Institute for the Blind, Citizens Advice Bureau and Credit Unions.
RBS also works with Scotcash, a Community Development Finance Institution offering support to people in Glasgow who are otherwise excluded from financial services.
Environment
The parent company, the RBS Group, addresses the key area of energy efficiency but not waste management in their Corporate Responsibility report. The report also states a commitment to continued improvement in performance.
Carbon Neutral
The parent company, RBS, has set a goal to reduce the group's carbon emissions per employee in the UK and Ireland by 20% from 2006 levels by 2011.
Equal Opportunities
RBS’s group policy addresses the key issues of gender, race, disability and sexuality.
Women on the Board
The parent company reports that 5.88% of its board are women (2007).
Voluntary Standards & Initiatives
Not by itself but the parent company a signatory/member of:
Charitable Giving
The parent company, RBS, donated 0.38% of its pre-tax profits in 2007.
Direct Line
- Insurance (Home, Motor, Travel, Pet, Critical Illness, Life)
- Student Car Insurance
- Student Travel Insurance
