The 10th Allianz Motor Day addressed the question of how sustainable car insurance can be. The discussions at the international event hosted by Allianz focused on how electromobility can be promoted as a key lever for decarbonization on both the product and service sides and how CO2 emissions can be reduced through sustainable claims management.
World Property and Casualty Insurance Report 2022: Walking the talk
Repair instead of replacing with new parts
The Allianz proposition was clear: “In car insurance, we see many levers in sustainable claims management that can significantly reduce CO2 emissions,” says Klaus-Peter Roehler, member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE, responsible for the insurance business in Germany, Switzerland, Central and Eastern Europe as well as Global P&C Retail and SMC and Global Claims. “In this context, finding suitable opportunities to repair rather than use new parts is of the greatest importance.”
A majority of motor vehicle collision damages are small to medium-sized, mainly affecting the exterior parts of the vehicle. For these, there are green repair options. The production of a new part has a significantly higher CO2 footprint than a repair. “While these repair options are already being used today, we still see great potential for improvement here. If insurers increase repair rates in Europe by just two percentage points per year, according to the calculations of our experts, almost 30,000 tons of CO2 emissions can be avoided, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of around 5,100 households,” explains Roehler. “This underpins our proposition to increase green repairs in the future.”
Certification as sustainable workshop
Another lever for more sustainable claims management is the standardized certification of workshops in the European markets according to sustainability criteria. “Allianz, along with other stakeholders in the motor vehicle industry, would like to create common standards across Europe,” says Roehler. “Only in this way is it possible for us to consciously include adherence to sustainability criteria in choosing a workshop.”
Let electric vehicles become suitable for the masses
The EU climate law stipulates that Europe should become climate-neutral by 2050 and that by 2030, there should be at least 55 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 1990 levels. The activities of the United Nations-convened Net Zero Insurance Alliance, NZIA for short, contribute to this overall reduction. Allianz was an early mover and co-founded the NZIA in the summer of 2021, with the aim of promoting the decarbonization of insurance portfolios.
“We take a holistic approach to the topic of sustainable mobility. And one thing is clear: Without sustainable mobility and the consistent expansion of electric mobility, the ambitious goals of the EU cannot be achieved,” says Roehler. “To make electric mobility suitable for the masses, all market participants must create customer-friendly solutions. These include, among other things, faster expansion of the charging infrastructure, competitive prices and useful services related to electric vehicles.”
Platform for electric vehicles to help customers decide on sustainable mobility
Allianz is partnering with recognized experts and brands to create a dedicated digital platform for electric vehicles. The platform will provide comprehensive information to customers regarding electric mobility and offer a curated marketplace for everything related to electric vehicles. The offerings of the platform range from information on topics such as coverage or charging stations; services such as a battery check before buying/selling a used electric vehicle; wallbox-installation with an on-site check; as well as a charging card on favorable conditions. It also includes suitable insurance products for electric vehicles. The platform will go live at the beginning of 2023, starting with Germany. Over the course of next year, Allianz Partners will facilitate its rollout in many other markets. “With this platform, Allianz aims to help customers decide in favor of sustainable mobility by offering them a wide range of information, products and services related to electromobility, all in one place,” Roehler says.