Insurer goes green

The distinctive shade of AAMI red could soon take on a green hue as the insurer unveils its environmental management practices, in the company’s Corporate Transparency Report.

Manager, Regulatory Affairs, Policy and Research, Annabelle Butler, said the report, contained within the company’s Customer Charter Annual Report, outlined the company’s existing ‘green’ practices, which would allow the company to assess its current emission and waste levels, in order to take steps to reduce its future impact on the environment.

“Reducing our impact on the environment is not just a matter of good corporate citizenship, it supports the community in which we work,” Butler said.

In 2001, the company took its first step towards reducing its carbon footprint with the introduction of its first ‘green’ promise into the Customer Charter.

“This promise challenged AAMI staff to reduce the company’s waste sent to landfill by 10%,” Butler said.

“In its first year, AAMI exceeded this target three-fold and is now committed to ensuring that less than 20% of waste sent to landfill comprises paper or cardboard. We now use recycled paper in all our printed materials for our customers, we recycle printer cartridges and, more importantly, we buy them back as useable products for our customer service centres.”

Additionally, the company offsets its fleet emissions via Greenfleet Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that plants native trees to offset carbon dioxide emissions.

“AAMI’s contribution to Greenfleet of 20,000 planted trees will remove more than 5550 tonnes of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere,” Butler said.

“We have backed up this voluntary contribution with a self-imposed penalty of $25,000 for breaching this promise, which would be donated by AAMI to a not-for-profit organisation directed at environmental activities.”