Allianz has used its 10th Allianz Motor Day to foster discussion on the way ‘electromobility’ can be promoted as a key lever for decarbonisation of automotive products and servicing, and how CO2 emissions can be reduced through sustainable claims management.
“In car insurance, we see many levers in sustainable claims management that can significantly reduce CO2 emissions,” said Klaus-Peter Roehler, member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE, responsible for the insurance business in Germany, Switzerland, Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Global P&C Retail and SMC and Global Claims. “In this context, finding suitable opportunities to repair rather than use new parts is of the greatest importance.”
While these repair options are currently in use, Allianz said there is room for significant improvement.
“If insurers increase repair rates in Europe by just two percentage points per year, according to the calculations of our experts, almost 30,000 tons of CO2 emissions can be avoided, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of around 5100 households,” said Roehler. “This underpins our proposition to increase green repairs in the future.”
Allianz says it believes another lever for more sustainable claims management is standardised certification of workshops in the European markets according to sustainability criteria. “Allianz, along with other stakeholders in the motor vehicle industry, would like to create common standards across Europe,” said Roehler. “Only in this way is it possible for us to consciously include adherence to sustainability criteria in choosing a workshop.”
The insurer said EU climate law stipulates that Europe should become climate-neutral by 2050, and by 2030 there should be at least a 55 per cent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels. The activities of the United Nations-convened Net Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) contribute to the overall reduction – Allianz was an early mover and co-founded the NZIA in 2021, with the aim of promoting the decarbonisation of insurance portfolios.
“We take a holistic approach to the topic of sustainable mobility and one thing is clear: without sustainable mobility and the consistent expansion of electric mobility, the ambitious goals of the EU cannot be achieved,” said Roehler. “To make electric mobility suitable for the masses, all market participants must create customer-friendly solutions. These include, among other things, faster expansion of the charging infrastructure, competitive prices, and useful services related to electric vehicles.”
Allianz says it has partnered with experts and brands to create a dedicated digital platform that will provide comprehensive information to customers regarding electric mobility and offer a curated electric vehicles marketplace. The offerings of the platform range from information on charging stations, services such as a battery check before buying / selling a used electric vehicle, and wall box-installation with an on-site check. It also includes insurance products for electric vehicles.
The platform will go live at the beginning of 2023, starting with Germany. Over the following year, Allianz partners will facilitate its rollout in many other markets.
“With this platform, Allianz aims to help customers decide in favour of sustainable mobility by offering them a wide range of information, products, and services related to electromobility, all in one place,” said Roehler.