Our environmental commitments
We aim to reduce our environmental impact whilst minimising the impact of environmental issues on our business.
At Unum, we are:
- Taking steps to understand and reduce our carbon footprint
- Reducing the environmental impact of resources we consume
- Being a responsible steward of the assets we manage
- Initiating work with our key suppliers, exploring their environmental impact and how this contributes to our carbon footprint
- Helping our employees to make informed choices about their own carbon footprint and environmental impact
- Supporting organisations that positively impact our local environments
- Engaging with local communities and providing environmental volunteering opportunities for our employees
Carbon reduction
Unum’s environmental management includes participating in initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint, waste, water use and more. We seek to continuously improve the way that we operate our business to minimise our environmental impact.
As part of Unum Group, we aim to reduce our Scope 1 & 2 carbon equivalent emissions by 3% year-over-year.
Scope 1 and 2 Emissions
We actively work to reduce our carbon emissions and we have achieved:
- An 80% reduction (market-based) and 49% reduction (location-based) between 2021 and 2022
- A further reduction of 66% (market-based) and 29% (location-based) between 2022 and 2023
- A 10% reduction (market-based) and 2% increase (location-based) between 2023 and 2024
- A 60% reduction (market-based) and 19% reduction (location-based) between 2024 and 2025
Carbon literacy
We are a Bronze certified Carbon Literate Organisation. Through this offering, we aim to empower more colleagues to make climate‑aware decisions. Delivered in line with the Carbon Literacy Project, the training gives employees practical knowledge on what drives carbon emissions and how everyday decisions, both personal and professional, can reduce our footprint. Following the training, employees are required to use the training to shape two meaningful pledges, working their way to becoming Carbon Literate employees who can support Unum UK’s carbon emissions reduction efforts.
Carbon Credits
As part of our commitment to reduce our impact on the environment, Unum UK purchases the equivalent number of carbon credits as our reported emissions in partnership with Ecologi.
In addition to purchasing carbon credits, through Ecologi we have contributed to the planting of over 135,000 trees worldwide to date. A few examples of how we contribute to this effort include replacing gifts at marketing events and through partnerships with brokers.
Biodiversity
We are dedicated to supporting local environments and wildlife. We have completed multiple initiatives to improve our onsite biodiversity across our offices.
This includes the installation of two onsite beehives managed by Surrey Bees in the grounds of our Dorking Head Office, plus wildflower meadow planting, and supporting local organisations with hedgerow and tree projects.
We have also introduced habitat restoration into our portfolio of projects supported through Ecologi, with over 600m2 of wildflower meadows, wetlands, heathland and woodland restored to date.
Sustainability Champions Network
Our Sustainability Champions are a group of passionate employees who help us promote a culture of sustainability at Unum and champion doing the right thing for our planet by minimising our environmental impact.
The Network’s purpose is to:
- Encourage more of our people to lead more sustainable lives
- Create an environmentally-aware culture where our people want to work and give their best
- Foster a collaborative community to share ideas, experiences, and best practice to drive sustainable initiatives
Responsible investments
Responsible Investments is a focus pillar within our Responsible Business strategy. Our investment philosophy is to deliver consistent long-term returns while keeping risks at appropriate levels so we can deliver on our promises to policyholders and stakeholders. We strive to be responsible stewards of our assets within a framework of strong governance and transparency while also positively impacting our communities.
We consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors when analysing the long-term risk-reward characteristics of an investment, which benefits all of our stakeholders. We integrate these factors into our investment decision-making, which is documented in our formal investment research process.
