OREANDA-NEWS. April 07, 2010. IC ROSNO has implemented an environmental management system currently being adopted by the companies belonging to the international financial group Allianz. This step has enabled ROSNO to draw its first ecological balance sheet, which would serve as a basis for the development of new measures aimed at increasing energy efficiency of the business. According to the preliminary calculations, ROSNO’s existing energy consumption can be potentially reduced by 30%.

The ecological initiatives aimed at decreasing harmful effects for the climate of the Earth form a part of the business strategy pursued by Allianz throughout the world. The Group’s climate strategy (for the years 2006 to 2012) contemplates an aggregate CO2 reduction by 20%. In 2002, Allianz became one of the first participants of the Carbon Disclosure Project, CDP, and, according to CDP estimates, it ranks among the world’s top 12 companies working on the climate change issue.

The ecological initiatives implemented by Allianz include: development of specialized products and services, participation in public discussion on ecological issues, internal transformations aimed at better energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gases. An important element of internal transformation is the implementation of the environmental management system (EMS).

Implementation of the EMS, mandatory for all companies of Allianz Group, involves careful handling of resources and environment (energy, water, paper), as well as reduction of road and air traffic — in particular, through replacement of business trips with videoconferencing.

ROSNO started building EMS in 2008. Already by 2009, the measures aimed at reduction of natural resource consumption (electricity, gas, paper and water) have made it possible to decrease the costs of these resources by about 9.7%. This work has already resulted in completion of the company’s ecological balance sheet enabling it to assess the resource consumption and the possibilities for achieving better energy efficiency. According to the preliminary estimates, the cost of the company’s energy resources can be reduced by 30%. In the near future, ROSNO plans to develop and start implementation of the package of measures designed to decrease energy consumption.

"The climate change carrying a serious threat to the mankind has been largely provoked by the uncontrollable growth in greenhouse gas emissions generated by the economy. The apparent consequence of this situation is the increase in the quantity of natural cataclysms and natural disasters, and as a result, the growing number of insured accidents. Thus, in the last 30 years, insurance compensations paid to the victims of natural disasters grew 15 times worldwide. Throughout these years, the quantity of natural disasters in Russia doubled, reaching 300 to 400 per year. Therefore, we view energy efficiency as an important part of ROSNO’s operations. This represents the company’s real contribution to the decrease in aggregate harmful influence of human activities on the environment and the climate. The climate change mitigation measures often cost little. At the same time, such measures can quickly produce positive results, including ecological improvements, such as greenhouse gas reductions. Such measures include: switching off energy-consuming devices for the time period stipulated in work regulations; switching off computers outside business hours; switching off light sources during daytime; installing climate control for office heating and cooling, and other measures", notes Mr. Leonid Golovanov, head of ROSNO’s Natural and Agricultural Risk Insurance Department.

Pursuant to the global environmental strategy adopted by Allianz, ROSNO is also implementing in the Russian market the unique ecological and climatic risk protection solutions: insurance coverage of new energy sources; insurance coverage of afforestation and restoration thereof as a means of compensation for carbon emissions; comprehensive insurance coverage of agricultural and natural risks due to changing climate; insurance coverage of carbon risks (insurance coverage of the joint projects aimed at reduction of carbon dioxide emissions).