Sustainability-related Policy for Underwriting, Investments and Loans
1. Approach to insurance underwriting, investment, and other activities that take sustainability into consideration (hereinafter referred to as ‘this Policy’)
The SOMPO Group sees sustainability as a driver of long-term value creation, and contributes to the realization of a resilient and sustainable society by making its business decisions, including underwriting and investment, based on SOMPO's Purpose.
To fulfill our corporate social responsibility, we have established the Group Sustainability Vision and its subordinate policies, which sets out its approach to human rights, climate change, nature and community considerations.
Based on the above, we will identify market opportunities and manage risks, and strive to enhance the corporate value of our group through community participation, social responsibility, and inclusion and engagement.
This policy will be reviewed regularly and revised as necessary, taking into account changes in the global environment and business activities, the status of policy implementation, and expectations and requests from stakeholders, in order to assess the appropriateness and adequacy of the risks to be recognized and the sectors and businesses to be covered.
Advancing the Energy Transition and Building a Sustainable Future
We promote “SOMPO Earth Positive Actions,” a groupwide strategy grounded in respect for human rights that takes an integrated approach to climate change, biodiversity, and the circular economy.
We support the transition to a low-carbon economy through insurance, investments, and loans in renewable energy and other transition technologies, thereby reducing GHG emissions and driving climate change mitigation. Concurrently, we support climate adaptation by providing disaster prevention and risk reduction services, and products like agricultural insurance for weather risks. We also provide solutions that support biodiversity conservation, and the circular economy, contributing to a more sustainable and resilient society. We are committed to achieving net zero emissions associated with our underwriting portfolio, investments, loans, and operations by 2050.
Through our global sustainability initiatives, we support our customers in advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement. By working with our customers, we aim to reduce emissions, strengthen resilience, and contribute to positive environmental outcomes.
Advancing Social Equity
Under the Group Policy for Human Rights, the Group acts with a commitment to respect the fundamental human rights of all stakeholders in all of our global business activities.
With the aim of enabling each and every employee to maximize his or her strengths, we have positioned inclusion and engagement as an important management strategy for growth, and are working to build a system and corporate culture to realize this goal.
In addition, when underwriting insurance, making investments and/or loans, and/or when entering into new partnerships with business partners (brokers, reinsurers, investment managers, lessees, vendors, etc.), we are guided by our Group Sustainability Vision and other relevant policies.
Disciplined Decision-Making and Highly Transparent Disclosure
Based on the Group Sustainability Vision, the Group will make business decisions based on high ethical standards, respecting international codes of conduct and considering the interests of all stakeholders, including customers, employees, local communities, and shareholders.
In addition, we will proactively and fairly disclose transparent information to society regarding our progress toward achieving our goals, etc., in accordance with ISSB and other disclosure standards.
Approach to engagement (Policy on Effective Dialogue)
To support realizing net zero by 2050 and just transition, we will create new opportunities for collaboration and co-creation through engagement with our insurance customers and investee companies. We will propose and provide insurance products and solutions that contribute to solving our customers' challenges.
Concurrently, to ensure the effectiveness of these efforts, we are calling on 30 priority companies*, which account for over 80% of GHG emissions in our insurance underwriting portfolio, to formulate a "transition plan" towards net zero by 2050. We will, in principle, phase out business relationships with companies that have not formulated such a plan following dialogue through the end of FY 2035.
*The selection of the 30 priority companies is primarily based on their GHG emissions within the Sompo Group's insurance underwriting portfolio. Furthermore, the selection comprehensively considers sectors with high dependence on and impact on natural capital, identified with reference to frameworks such as the TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures), as well as the overall impact on our investment and financing portfolio. In the base year for selection (FY2024), these 30 companies account for over 80% of the GHG emissions associated with our insurance underwriting and over 70% of the GHG emissions associated with our investments and financing.
2. Policy for Cross sectors and specific sectors
We have established cross sectoral policies and sector specific policies for our Underwriting, Investments and Loans.
(1)Policy for cross sectors
Regardless of sector, we will assess the adverse environmental and social impacts of the following projects that may have such impacts, confirm the status of our customers' responses to such impacts, and carefully consider and respond to cases when evaluation transactions.
- Projects with negative impact on UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Projects with negative impact on Ramsar-listed wetlands
- Projects with negative impact on human rights, e.g. use of Child or Forced labor
- Projects that violate the human rights of indigenous peoples*1 or local communities
- Projects related to inhumane weapons, including anti-personnel landmines, biological weapons, chemical weapons, and nuclear weapons
In addition, we will not underwrite insurance or invest and loan for anti-social forces and companies involved in the production of cluster munitions.
*1We refer to the following standards:
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
United Nations Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)
(2)Policy for specific sectors
① Coal
Coal-fired power plants are a source of concern due to their high GHG emissions compared to other power generation methods, as well as the release of harmful substances such as sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides.
Additionally, Thermal coal mine projects pose risks such as increased GHG emissions through combustion in future power plants, ecological impacts from harmful waste emitted from coal mines, and labor safety and health risks or human rights violations for workers.
Considering these factors, we will not underwrite new insurance or make new investments in or loans for the following projects:
- Newly constructed or existing coal-fired power plants
- New or expanded coal mining development projects (Thermal coal)
However, we may carefully consider and respond to cases where there are innovative technologies such as Carbon Dioxide Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCS, CCUS), carbon recycling, ammonia co-firing, or other innovative technologies in place that are expected to reduce GHG emissions and contribute to the realization of the Paris Agreement.
Additionally, we will not underwrite new or renewal insurance*4 or provide investments or loans to the following companies whose primary business is coal-related activities:
- Companies that derive at least 20% of their revenue from coal-fired power generation, thermal coal mining, and oil sands mining
- Companies of electric utilities that generate at least 20% of their electricity from coal
However, this does not apply to companies that have a plan to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
② Oil sands
Oil sands extraction involves mining and refining processes that require significant amounts of energy and water resources, raising concerns about environmental impacts.
Additionally, there are potential risks such as ecological impacts, damage to biodiversity, and human rights violations against indigenous peoples and local communities.
Considering these factors, we will not engage in new insurance underwriting or investment and loans for the following businesses:
- Oil sands extraction projects
③ Energy extraction in the Arctic
Energy extraction in the Arctic may have adverse effects on the environment, the habitats of rare species and the lives and cultures of indigenous peoples, as well as difficulties in responding to accidents.
Considering these factors, we will not engage in new insurance underwriting or investment and loans in the following businesses.
- Energy extraction projects*2 in the AMAP area (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme)*3
Additionally, we will not underwrite new or renewal insurance*4 or provide investments or loans to the following companies:
- Companies involved in energy extraction projects in the ANWR
However, this does not apply to companies that have a plan to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
*2Energy extraction projects refer to standalone extraction projects.
*3Defined by AMAP, excluding operations in Norwegian territories.
*4These restrictions will not apply to insurance that supports the health and wellbeing of individuals, e.g. workers' compensation insurance.