Employees taking action:
the power of many
To create a sustainable future, we must work together.
At Zurich, we believe that by providing interactive, engaging and educational opportunities that cultivate awareness of sustainability, employees will be motivated and empowered to be more sustainable at work and at home. Activities range from celebrating Earth Hour in March and a dedicated Climate Month in September, to involving employees in entrepreneurial programs and climate-related workshops. With the power of many, we have the knowledge, skills, and passion to create real impact, whether that’s raising awareness of the need to protect our planet, sharing knowledge to inspire others or helping to mitigate climate change.
Zurich Ecuador reforestation
Colleagues in Zurich Ecuador participated in the planting of 2,000 native trees in the Ecuadorian highlands. This initiative, which took place for the second consecutive year, not only contributed to the recovery of habitats for water retention, but also promoted greater environmental awareness among employees and partners. Planting these trees represented a commitment to long-term sustainability and a tangible step towards a greener future.
North America GoGreen@Home team focuses on small changes with big impacts
We hear it all the time; small changes make a big difference when it comes to protecting our planet. Of course, it sounds simple, but it can also be a bit overwhelming. How do you get started?
One great place to start for Zurich North America (ZNA) employees is by engaging with the GoGreen@Home team, led by colleagues Angela Holloway and Heather Reeves. GoGreen@Home evolved from the Employee Climate Interest Group, which meets regularly to engage on climate change issues and is open to all ZNA colleagues.
The team developed the GoGreen@Home website to promote sustainable products that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. There’s also a ZNA Product Catalogue to purchase or rate products to guide colleagues in their sustainability efforts.
“GoGreen@Home is made up of members who embrace sustainability and are passionate about helping others in their own efforts,” said Angela. “Each of us brings new perspectives that we can share with our fellow employees.” Added Heather, “Zurich’s aspires to be one of the most responsible and impactful businesses in the world. Our goal is to find ways to increase awareness for our employees in how they can make a positive impact.”
Zurich Hong Kong colleagues unleash their creativity at the Green Lanterns workshop
The mid-Autumn Festival is a special celebration in Chinese culture and a time when families come together. Chinese lanterns are an iconic symbol of this traditional festival. To promote planet sustainability in an electrifying way, Zurich Club, one of the Hong Kong Employee Resources Groups, organized a Green Lanterns workshop, where colleagues upcycled bottles, ribbons, and other recycling materials into stunning works of art. This workshop not only showcases the incredible talent of our colleagues but also highlights the importance of environmental consciousness and putting it into action in the workplace.
The lanterns took pride of place in the office pantry during the mid-Autumn Festival period and have now been returned to their creators, who are using them to brighten up their homes and office spaces.
“Taking part in the Green Lanterns workshop was a fun experience. I have adopted egg carton, fruit foam net and chips packets to design my lantern. It felt meaningful to repurpose items that might have otherwise been thrown away. I'm thrilled to share and treasure my one-of-a-kind sustainable lantern.”
Volunteer activities to care for the planet and the community
Zurich Argentina organized a set of initiatives for employees with volunteer activities to care for the planet and the community, helping to build their culture of sustainability.
Activities included visiting primary schools where employees read stories with environmental themes to more than 250 children. This activity was organized as part of the Leer Foundation’s reading marathon. Working with the Wildlife Foundation (FVS), colleagues also promoted and took part in volunteer outings to plant native species in Natural Reserves of Buenos Aires, thus contributing to biodiversity.
“I’m grateful to be part of an organization that encourages and supports positive impact through its employees. We believe that securing the future is also about taking care of the present, and that is what we intend to achieve by promoting these actions”.
Climate Month 2023: Empowerment through climate optimism
September marked the launch of Climate Month 2023, where we again put the spotlight on climate change, with an overarching theme of empowerment through climate optimism. Together, we hosted more than 70 (virtual and in-person) global, regional and local events. We covered a wide range of topics including sustainable food, the Zurich Forest Project, sustainable supply chains, climate resilience and climate change and wellbeing. Employees had the opportunity to participate in two separate workshops, the Climate Fresk, teaching our employees the fundamental science behind climate change and also a workshop focused on Climate Optimism, hosted by The Carbonauts.
This year’s event brought thousands of employees together to learn about empowerment through climate optimism, and what role individuals and corporates can play to help mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.
Sustainability Day and Ecosia
To raise awareness of the impact that large-scale construction has on our planet and future quality of life, Zurich Austria held their fourth Virtual Sustainability Day in October 2023, sponsored by Zurich Austria CEO, Andrea Stürmer.
A highlight of the day saw more 500 colleagues tune in to watch Dr. Kurt Weinberger, the head of the Austrian Hail Insurance company, as he shared examples of how climate change affects Austria. For example, he explained that over the past decade, there have been an average of 35 days per year with temperatures above 30 degrees, up from 20 days in the period from 1990 to 2000. Changes like these not only have an impact on our everyday lives but also affect the insurance industry.
In addition, sustainability champions shared practical examples of how we can all contribute to tackling climate change.
Looking for ways to integrate sustainability even more into everyone’s daily working lives, Zurich Austria switched to Ecosia, a German company that offers a search engine where all advertising revenue is used to fund selected reforestation projects worldwide.
With Ecosia now Zurich Austria’s standard search engine since May 2023, Ecosia estimates that it takes roughly 50 internet searches to fund the planting of a tree. Employees can see the difference their searches are making thanks to the tree counter that is displayed in the browser.
Users can, of course, choose their favorite search engine but, with the Ecosia search engine powered by Bing, meaning there is no impact on the quality of the searches, why would they look elsewhere when their searches are leading to positive environmental change?
“Complex change requires simple steps”
Promoting sustainable actions in the kitchen
As part of Climate Month, Zurich Brazil launched a recipe competition to reinforce the importance of sustainability while finding out if Zurichers are good in the kitchen. As well as using local, seasonal, and natural foods, the budding chefs were encouraged to reuse leftovers to reduce waste, further reinforcing our commitment to sustainable actions.
Fourteen recipes were submitted and, following evaluation against the pre-defined rules, the ten highest-scoring recipes will soon be published in an e-book so that everyone can enjoy delicious, sustainable meals!
“I am very happy to know my frittata recipe has been chosen for the Zurich e-book! Cooking without waste and making the most of the ingredients we have is also a way of saving resources. Brazilians love their rice, and I am no exception, so to be able to turn leftover rice into something nutritious and delicious is what makes me love this recipe so much. I hope everyone enjoys it!”
Cultivating Wellness and Sustainability: The micro-farm initiative with GreenSpace in Sydney
In collaboration with GreenSpace, an expert in urban farming, our Zurich Sydney office has introduced a thriving micro-farm, in order to foster a healthier workplace.
Greg Lee, Logistics Manager and his team initiated the introduction of the micro-farm to the Sydney office and says: ‘it’s been great to be able to come and work in this space. Seeing so many living, edible plants on the floor is refreshing. Our colleagues really enjoy the greenery here.”
The micro-farm is a mini ecosystem that breathes life into the Sydney workplace, bringing nature and wellness closer to colleagues. As well as being a peaceful retreat where employees can escape their daily routines, the micro-farm allows employees to get their hands dirty and cut some fresh greens, learn about urban farming, and engage in the growing process.
The micro-farm yields fresh produce that can be enjoyed by colleagues. From herbs to vegetables, the bounty of the micro-farm is shared with all and refreshed weekly.
Celebrating the global power of employee engagement in clean-up events
Every year in September, the World Clean-Up Days take place, bringing people together from around the globe to create awareness about the importance of waste management and environmental preservation. This year, Zurichers once again showcased their commitment to sustainability by participating in various clean-up events organized by local volunteer employees.
Zurich employees in countries including Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK organized neighborhood clean-ups, removing litter and debris from streets, parks and riverbanks. They also organized forest clean-ups to restore natural habitats. In coastal regions, employees participated in beach clean-ups and even organized a lake clean-up in Zurich city, promoting a cleaner, healthier aquatic ecosystem.
Their ongoing commitment to clean-up events showcases the power of employee engagement in creating a cleaner, healthier planet for future generations.
Zurich Germany promotes and rewards sustainable actions during the annual Planet Hero week
During the week of October 16, colleagues in Germany had the opportunity to participate in our annual Planet Hero Week, which includes virtual and live events at our Frankfurt and Cologne offices. The week was dedicated to promoting sustainability at Zurich, supporting and inspiring employees to live more sustainably within their daily routine at the office as well as privately.
The highlight of the week was our Planet Hero Summit event as well as the Planet Hero Award ceremony, which recognizes the best and most effective initiatives in the categories of Climate Protection, Biodiversity, Ocean and Water Protection. The ceremony attracted an audience of more than 25,000 people who watched the live stream of the event featuring speakers such as Dr. Carsten Schildknecht, CEO of Zurich Germany, Mona Neubaur, Deputy Prime Minister of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and William Wolfgramm, Technical Councilor of the City of Cologne for Climate, Environment, Green and Real Estate. The awards were presented by Boris Herrmann, sports sailor and Zurich Climate Ambassador and his team Malizia. The winners will be supported by a dedicated member of the Board of Management of Zurich Germany and will receive a total of 200,000 euros in funding to further develop their campaigns. Congratulations to this year’s winners:
- TUM Carbon Removal Initiative: reducing atmospheric levels of CO2 (0.04%) by directly removing it from earth's atmosphere through DAC (Direct Air Capture) and storing it as dry ice for long periods of time. The initiative is developing scalable CO2 capture and storage technology.
- MIYA - Association for the Promotion of the Miyawaki Method: plants small highly diverse forest ecosystems in urban areas and uses them as green classrooms.
- Lahntaucher: The Lahn divers remove trash from rivers and educate others about what it looks like underwater, through various platforms.
“We firmly believe that the issue of sustainability affects each and every one of us. With the – so called - Planet Hero week, we involve our employees and help them to lead a more sustainable life both inside and outside the company.”
Asia Pacific’s Steptember Challenge promotes a healthier lifestyle
Since it was established in 2021, the Asia Pacific (APAC) People Council has been championing diversity, inclusion and wellbeing through various initiatives and activities to enhance the employee experience across the region. The People Council’s inaugural initiative, the APAC Wellbeing Challenge evolved into the ‘Steptember Challenge’ in 2022.
#APACMovesTogether was launched in 2023, a year-long movement focused on our sustainability ambitions. The events and activities were coordinated in collaboration with the APAC People Council, and regional representatives from Z Zurich Foundation, Community Champions, Sustainability Champions, Communications and Employee Experience teams.
As one of the signature events for Climate Month, the 2023 ‘Steptember Challenge’ attracted over 700 employees and achieved 200 million steps, covering 150,000 km. This was also the same year that the APAC People Council was able to leverage Zurich’s digital health and wellbeing solution, LiveWell by Zurich, to capture activity and steps across the region. These collective efforts highlight the promotion of healthier lifestyles.
“Stepping into the ‘Steptember Challenge’ ignites a triple flame of motivation within me. It's the thrill of connection through friendly competition, the daily energic push of an active lifestyle, and the desire to tread lightly on our precious planet. Each step I take is more than just a move towards personal health—it's a shared stride with a community committed to reducing carbon footprints as I often opt to walk instead of driving.”
