Zurich Insurance Group has become the first large institutional investor to prioritise the environmental and social goals of its impact investment portfolio following its AUM reaching $5bn.

Zurich has set the focus of these goals as avoiding 5 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions annually and improving each year the lives of 5 million people. As of the end of September, the portfolio helped avoid 2.9 million tons of CO2 equivalent emissions and improved the lives of 4 million people.

Amit Bouri, co-Founder and CEO of The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN): “The GIIN applauds Zurich Insurance Group for continuing to raise the bar on its impact investing, anchoring around impact targets while allocating capital in alignment with both its fiduciary duty and intention to generate a measurable, positive impact for people and planet. To achieve our biggest global goals, like the UN Sustainable Development Goals and targets set by the Paris Agreement, we will need the commitment of institutional investors around the world. Investors have a critical role to play in transforming our future, and our hope is that Zurich inspires other investors to join the effort to drive measurable, positive impact, so we can make progress toward the more sustainable and inclusive world we all seek.”

Zurich’s impact investment portfolio now stands at $5.4bn and includes green bonds, social and sustainability bonds, private equity funds active in areas such as financial inclusion and clean technology, as well as impact infrastructure loans for projects such as wind or solar farms.

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