Contributing to a Sustainable Economy
Creating jobs & opportunities
Allianz is one of the largest private-sector employees in Guildford offering permanent, temporary and contract work. We have a preferred supplier list of employment agencies including locally Reed and Spring. We are an equal opportunities employer and will consider all competent candidates. However, as a professional organisation there are only limited opportunities for unqualified candidates.
Purchasing Policy
When purchases are made by Allianz , considerable efforts are made to take environmental and social factors into account. As a company we expect our suppliers and contractors to have similar environmental and ethical standards
- All paper is purchased from sustainable sources and is produced from soft wood pulp. Allianz does not contribute to deforestation. All the paper we purchase contains some element of recycled materials and some of the company literature is printed on 100%-recycled paper.
- Any chemical purchases such as printing inks are only purchased from reputable suppliers who comply with the most up-to-date ecological standards.
Mutually beneficial local partnerships
Our partnership with Guildford Borough Council provides the Park and Ride service from Ladymead. Every Christmas, Allianz pay for the service giving free Park and Ride for Christmas shoppers.
Our distribution of surplus equipment, materials and furniture provides a mutual benefit to the company and the recipient charities and community groups.
Communicating effectively with stakeholders
Allianz recognises the importance of good communication for all its stakeholders. We have a set of communications standards for employees covering team meetings and team briefing cascades originating from the management board each month. Two-way communication is further encouraged by our CEO through a regular series of informal staff forumsheld at each location. The company has an extensive and well-used intranet (over 20,000 separate user sessions per week) and all staff use electronic communications. The company also has a six-weekly staff magazine and a number of more regular local publications.
Communication with external stakeholders is regular and open - the company adheres to Allianz Group Communication standards which are based on communications and corporate governance best practice.
Links with its shareholder, Allianz SE Group, are regular at all levels - from strategic dialogues at senior level to knowledge sharing and joint projects at all levels of the international group.
The company monitors staff and external stakeholder communication through its annual MORI staff satisfaction survey and broker surveys.
Ensuring that sustainability criteria are built into the decision-making process
The Allianz SE group sees sustainability as the key to its future strategy and is a leading member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). It stresses the importance of the triple bottom line (economic, environmental and social) approach to goal setting through the strategic dialogue with group companies each year. As part of the Allianz Group, Allianz is actively looking at how to integrate Sustainable Development criteria into underwriting and investment decision making.
In 2005 the Allianz SE Group commissioned and published an in-depth report on climate change and its impact on the financial sector. The project was co-sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Monitoring, evaluating, benchmarking and setting targets
As part of the Allianz SE Group world-wide we contribute data via an environmental monitoring system ( EMS ) which is fed into Allianz’s rating on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). This has steadily improved to a leading position over the last four years.
Sharing experience of best practice
We are part of Allianz’s international forum for Sustainable Development.
Having successfully participated in the Clean City Scheme for a number of years we now have a representative on the Corporation of London Clean City committee providing advice to other city businesses on recycling and waste management.
Locally we share our learned expertise with our community partners.