Allianz makes case for ‘sustainable claims management’

Insurer Allianz is calling on the industry to implement sustainable claims management as a means to lower the carbon footprint of car insurance.

Speaking at the 10th Allianz Motor Day on 19 October, Klaus-Peter Roehler (pictured), a member of Allianz SE board of management with, responsibility for global claims, said: “In car insurance, we see many levers in sustainable claims management that can significantly reduce CO2 emissions. In this context, finding suitable opportunities to repair rather than use new parts is of the greatest importance.”

The production of a new part has a significantly higher carbon footprint than a repair, explained Roehle. He said: “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 our experts, almost 30,000 tons of CO2 emissions can be avoided, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of around 5,100 households.

“This underpins our proposition to increase green repairs in the future.”

In the UK, Allianz Commercial and LV= have partnered with salvage provider Synetiq to help repairers source green parts automatically.

Another “lever” for more sustainable claims management is the standardised certification of workshops in the European markets according to sustainability criteria. Roehler said: “Allianz, along with other stakeholders in the motor vehicle industry, would like to create common standards across Europe.

“Only in this way is it possible for us to consciously include adherence to sustainability criteria in choosing a workshop.”

In the UK, LV=-branded bodyshops need to be carbon-neutral and offer electric cars as courtesy vehicles, under the Green Heart Standard, which is the first initiative of its kind in the car insurance industry. 70% of LV= customer repairs are now being done by carbon neutral bodyshops.

As part of the standard, LV= also promotes the use of recycled parts and educates customers on the benefits.

Allianz also argued that electric vehicles should be made more customer-friendly by expanding infrastructure for charging more quickly, ensuring prices are more competitive and introducing useful services.

Image source: Allianz

Mark Dugdale