AAMI takes transparency to greener pastures
The distinctive shade of AAMI red could soon take on a green hue, as the leading insurer unveils its environmental management practices, in the company's inaugural 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.
"At AAMI we understand that our commitment to our customers should not be limited to simply providing insurance-related financial services and we recognise that we have broader social and environmental responsibilities to the Australian community," Ms Butler said. "Reducing our impact on the environment is not just a matter of good corporate citizenship, it supports the community in which we work."
In 2001, AAMI took its first definitive step towards reducing its carbon footprint with the introduction of its first 'green' promise into the Customer Charter - an AAMI document that contains a series of promises made to AAMI customers.
"This promise challenged AAMI staff to reduce the company's waste sent to landfill by 10 per cent," Ms Butler said. "In its first year, AAMI exceeded this target three-fold and is now committed to ensuring that less than 20 per cent 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 (CSC)."
Additionally, AAMI now totally 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," Ms 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," she said.
"The inclusion of a 'green' promise has helped develop a culture where we are aware of the waste we create and the need to utilise recycled materials wherever possible and reduce our use of raw materials.
"We don't believe that we can deliver exceptional customer service if our products are 'costing the earth', so to speak."
Media interviews:
Emma Watts, AAMI Corporate Communications Adviser,
ph 03 8520 1944 or 0423 296 414
