At SCOR we use a range of techniques to assess the overall environmental, social and governance (ESG) quality of our business activities.
To support our ambition in sustainable underwriting, we have developed practices and guidelines that include the following:
- Engaging with clients representing at least 30% of SCOR Specialty Insurance Single Risk premiums to understand how energy transition may impact them, their targets, challenges and needs, over the period of “Forward 2026” strategic plan.
- Supporting sustainable solutions: multiplying insurance and facultative reinsurance coverage for low carbon energy by 3.5 by 2030(1).
- Assessing and disclosing the climate alignment of our hull and machinery marine portfolios and benchmarking them against two trajectories linked to a 50% reduction of annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 compared to 2008 and a 100% reduction of emissions by 2050 (in line with the Poseidon Principles for Marine Insurance):
- Incorporating ESG performance criteria in the insurance and facultative reinsurance underwriting of oil and gas, mining, power generation, construction.
- Aligning with the UNESCO Principles for Sustainable Insurance and World Wildlife Fund initiative to protect endangered World Heritage Sites
- Excluding insurance and facultative reinsurance coverage for the tobacco industry
On coal:
- excluding any new direct insurance and facultative reinsurance coverage (projects and operations) in respect of standalone
- thermal coal mines, lignite mines and unabated coal-fired power plants
- coal-fired power plants projects
- dedicated thermal coal mining infrastructure (e.g. ports, washing and handling facilities) projects
- excluding Appalachian Mountain top removal operations
- phasing out standalone direct insurance and facultative reinsurance coverage for thermal coal mines and unabated coal-fired power plants by 2030 in OECD countries and by 2040 for the rest of the world
On oil and gas:
- excluding standalone direct insurance and facultative reinsurance coverage for:
- new greenfield oil field development projects and gas field development projects(2)
- oil and gas exploration, production or related dedicated infrastructure projects in the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Region, with the exception of the Norwegian Arctic Region
- excluding any new (or any increase in commitments on existing) standalone direct insurance and facultative reinsurance coverage in respect of oil sands operations (both extraction and upgraders)(2)
To align with the Paris agreement and with the science-based trajectory of 1,5°C(3), SCOR has set its first interim target relating to companies having their headquarters in Europe for its Property & Casualty direct insurance and facultative reinsurance books of business (commercial lines)(4). Using the PCAF(4) methodology SCOR aims to achieve a reduction of 23% in the intensity of its GHG3 emissions by 2030 versus the end of 2022. SCOR will make all reasonable efforts to reach this interim target by 2030(5).
Footnotes:
(1)Using SCOR’s Estimated Gross Premium Income (“EGPI”) for 2020 as the baseline.
(2) Exceptions may be made for direct insurance and facultative reinsurance coverage for insureds with a verified strategy that is aligned with a credible net-zero by 2050 transition plan and will be based on the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), once available, or comparable third-party issued science-based target setting guidance for the upstream oil and gas sector
(3) The 1,5°C science-based trajectory refers to the goal outlined in the context of global efforts to address climate change to limit global warming to an increase of no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
(4) As per the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF, version 1 dates November 2022) perimeter when reliable data is available
(5) Achieving this target, however, is highly dependent on externalities outside of SCOR’s control. The actions and policies of different governments, and the transition of all stakeholders toward decarbonization of the real economy, are all crucial to align the world to the Paris agreement. Other factors linked to climate science, political, geopolitical, economic and regulatory developments which are outside of SCOR’s control may impact SCOR’s ability to deliver on its target. Without decisive and global action by governments, SCOR will not be able to achieve its target, and the world will not be able to reach a 1.5°C trajectory.
