Dear reader

Last year we further anchored the topic of “sustainability” in our everyday business. The focus of the sustainable orientation of our business activities in the year under review was the development of our new sustainability strategy for the years up to 2024 in which we prioritise those areas upon which we can exert a direct influence. These include the activities in our business behaviour, in our role as asset owner and manager, in the way we run our insurance and advisory business and last but not least in our role as an employer. In addition, we have, for example, refined our human rights approach in all relevant business areas and anchored it more firmly in our directives. We have set out our principles in a Group-wide declaration on respect for human rights.

Our sustainability strategy is a fundamental part of our new Group-wide programme “Swiss Life 2024”. It links initiatives and goals so that we can report transparently on our contribution to people’s lives, to society and to the environment.

We are embarking on the new strategic phase from a strong starting position. In recent years, we have not only developed and consolidated our internal processes and organisation in the area of sustainability, but in 2018 already set ourselves specific quantitative goals for reducing CO₂ emissions. These included the switch to 100% electricity from renewable energy sources and a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per full-time employee (FTE) compared to 2016. We have not only achieved this goal but even exceeded it.

With the new strategy we are now increasing our ambitions and have set ourselves the following targets by 2024:

• In operational ecology, we will reduce CO₂ emissions per full-time employee (FTE) by 35% compared to 2019. This will primarily be achieved through a reduction in travel as well as the shift towards lower-emission mobility and the purchase of sustainably produced electricity. In addition, we will fully neutralise the measured, unavoidable CO₂ emissions related to our operating activities.
• From its own analyses, Swiss Life knows that the CO₂ intensity of its securities portfolio is very good compared to corresponding benchmarks. Swiss Life aims to maintain this position over the coming years.
• In our sphere of influence as real estate owner and manager, we will reduce the CO₂ intensity of our directly held real estate by 20% by 2030 compared to 2019.
• Throughout the Group, we will respond to the increasing customer demand for sustainable solutions and expand our product offering.
• Our advisors will further integrate sustainability aspects into their advisory processes. We will accordingly invest in the competencies of our advisory teams and in their systems and tools.

With these measures, we aim to make our contribution to sustainable development – for the benefit of people, society and the environment.

Patrick Frost

CEO