In early 2022, we expanded our net zero commitments to include reaching net zero GHG emissions in our underwriting and investment portfolios and we also committed to sourcing 100% Renewable Energy for our operations by 2030 or sooner and setting science-based emission reduction targets to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. This builds on our previous commitment of reducing our global operational (scope 1 and scope 2) emissions to net zero by 2050 or sooner.
AIG collects data on GHG emissions using an organizational boundary based on activities within our operational control. Where available, GHG emissions are calculated on the basis of actual (e.g., metered) data received. In certain instances where actual data is not available, GHG emissions are estimated using internationally accepted and recognized methodologies from The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard from the World Resource Institute and World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Since 2019, we have collected information from certain sources of emissions that are controlled or owned by AIG (scope 1 and scope 2 emissions) and from value chain activities not directly owned or controlled by AIG (scope 3 emissions). These include the following:
- Scope 1 emissions: sources from fuel combustion at facilities (e.g., boilers, heating, back-up generators) and from mobile sources (e.g., corporate air and ground fleet)
- Scope 2 emissions: sources from the purchase of electricity
- Scope 3 emissions: sources from business air travel
In 2021, with the support of a third-party consultant, we were able to expand our collection of GHG emissions data and capture additional sources of emissions we were unable to measure and report in prior years (2019 and 2020). These additional sources include:
- Scope 1 emissions: sources from refrigerants
- Scope 2 emissions: sources from district heating
- Scope 3 emissions: sources associated with purchased goods and services[1], fuel and energy related activities not already included in scope 1 or 2 (e.g., transmission and distribution losses from the generation of electricity, steam, heating and cooling), and waste generated in operations and downstream leased assets
Expanding out collection of GHG emissions data is an important step forward as we progress on our journey to net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner.
Graph 5 below includes emissions that are controlled or owned by AIG (scope 1 and scope 2 emissions) from 2019 to 2021. As we expected, our estimated emissions across the two scopes increased from 2020 to 2021 as the effect of COVID-19 lessened. Nonetheless, total scope 1 and 2 estimated emissions for 2021 remained below pre-pandemic levels. This is in part due to the consolidation of Real Estate spaces. In 2021, AIG consolidated its New York-area office spaces from seven properties to three locations: Downtown New York City, Midtown New York City and Jersey City, New Jersey.
The increase in scope 1 emissions is primarily due to improvements in data coverage and estimation methodologies applied for unknown data.
Scope 1
- 2021 emissions from refrigerants totaled 524 metric tons of CO2e, 3% of total scope 1 emissions.
- 2021 total includes emissions from fuel combustion in stationary (i.e., heating, back-up generators) and mobile (i.e., ground fleet and corporate air jets) sources and the use of refrigerants.
- 2019 and 2020 data does not include emissions from the use of refrigerants.
Scope 2
- 2021 emissions from district heating totaled 527 metric tons of CO2e, 3% of total scope 2 emissions.
- 2021 total includes emissions from the purchase of electricity and district heating.
- 2019 and 2020 data does not include emissions from district heating.
To meet our net zero commitments, we will need to engage with our clients, suppliers and investees and other stakeholders to understand our decarbonization pathways, collaborate and partner to find and develop solutions.
Table 2 includes AIG’s scope 3 emissions from value chain activities not directly controlled or owned by AIG. The increase in estimated emissions seen in 2021 is primarily due to improvements in data coverage, the inclusion of four additional scope 3 sources, as well as an increase in business air travel as restrictions associated with COVID-19 lessened.
| Table 2 — AIG’s scope 3 emissions from 2019–2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Scope 3 categories/sources of emissions |
Metric Tons of CO2e |
||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| Purchased Goods and Services | 374,474 | 429,208 | 429,871 |
| Fuel and energy related activities* | - | - | 6,946 |
| Waste generated in operations* | - | - | 7,559 |
| Business Air travel | 44,695 | 1,394 | 4,410 |
| Downstream leased assets* | - | - | 5,247 |
| Score 3 emissions total | 419,169 | 430,602 | 517,033 |
In 2022, we will re-evaluate our emissions profile, including our baseline, which will likely reflect changes resulting from the anticipated separation of the Life & Retirement business from AIG.
Non-financial information, such as GHG emissions, is subject to measurement and estimation uncertainties resulting from limitations inherent to the data and methods used for compiling and determining such information. The methodologies and assumptions used to determine such data are still in the early stages of development and are likely to change. As our measurement and estimation techniques evolve, the use of different methodologies and changes in data availability could result in materially different measurements. The precision of different measurement techniques may also vary. GHG emission calculations also depend on third-party information which AIG has no ability to verify independently. For further information, see “About this Report”.
In 2021, AIG convened a Net Zero Working Group led by our Operational Excellence team comprised of subject matter experts from across operations and regions and supported by the Sustainability Office, Human Resources and Communications. This group collaborated to design a cross-functional, standardized and scalable approach to reducing our GHG emissions globally.
The working group formed seven operational workstreams that established a baseline of current practices and performance, brainstormed initiatives and created a unified “Path to Net Zero” roadmap for their respective focus areas. These workstreams met frequently to advance their objectives and identify next steps, while the larger working group met bi-weekly to provide updates and collaborate on cross-functional initiatives.
The Net Zero Working group proposed an operations roadmap to reduce emissions focused on three key levers:
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Operational improvement |
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|---|---|---|
Partnership & Innovation |
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Culture/Behavior |
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Facilities
- Created a strategic facilities sustainability plan
- Developed emissions modeling related to plan
Business Travel
- Relaunched the Global Travel Standard with a focus on demand management
- Optimized booking system with emissions display and implemented guided buying
- Incorporated detailed reporting of carbon emissions from travel suppliers
Digital
- Adopted cloud migration and data center re-assignment
- Envisioned a modern digital device strategy
Vehicle Fleet
- Developed an EV conversion plan for the United States and United Kingdom
Employee Services
- Shifted to sustainable office pantry supplies (U.S.)
- Returned to modern, green workplace initiative
Corporate Aviation Fleet
- Modernized corporate jet fleet with a focus on efficiency and sustainability
- Shift to sustainable aviation fuels, when available
Procurement
- Researched sustainability profiles of key supplier partnerships
- Measured emissions from purchased goods and services
AIG believes that, just as our efforts to improve our carbon footprint help our supplier partners reach their own carbon reduction goals, our supplier partners’ efforts to reduce their footprints strengthen our operations. A review of AIG’s key supplier partners indicates that our suppliers are forward-looking in their ESG performance. As we implement measures to reduce our environmental impact alongside our partners, we believe our combined efforts will be amplified to create even greater results. Read more about how AIG partners with our suppliers to advance sustainability goals here.
We are in the final year of AIG 200, our multi-year, enterprise-wide transformation program to position AIG for the future. The program focuses on transformational change across the company and is guided by four core objectives:
- Achieving underwriting excellence·
- Modernizing operating infrastructure
- Enhancing user and customer experiences
- Becoming a more unified company
As a result of AIG 200 initiatives, we have been able to make an impact on our operational GHG emissions through digitization, new ways of working, targeted procurement strategies and office space consolidation. Initiatives have included our shared services partnership and our cloud migration as part of our IT Modernization.
AIG’s updated Travel Standard focuses on cost savings as well as increasing efficiency and sustainability. AIG’s Meetings and Events Program will encourage the continued use of Virtual Meeting technology to avoid unnecessary travel-related emissions and costs associated with in-person meetings. Requiring executive leadership pre-trip approval will support these efforts to avoid unnecessary trips, reduce travel volume and minimize travel emissions. Where in-person meetings are necessary, use of AIG’s preferred suppliers, through our designated online booking tool and Corporate Card Program, will allow our Travel team to work with suppliers who offer optimal total value, which includes quality, service, sustainability and diversity.
AIG’s Jersey City office is located at 30 Hudson Street, a LEED-, WELL- and Energy Star Certified Building. Its LEED Gold certification reflects significant office design upgrades to reduce its carbon footprint and promote employee health.
- Location in a walkable community with easy access to public transportation
- Reduction of water use through efficient systems and fixtures
- Utilization of energy-efficient systems and renewable energy sources
- Installation of interior building materials that promote healthy indoor air quality
- Implementation of a comprehensive recycling program
- Utilization of eco-friendly cleaning products and procedures
- Installation of dispatch elevators to reduce wait and travel times and increase energy efficiency by reducing total number of elevator trips, stops and starts
AIG’s workplace at 30 Hudson was designed to provide our colleagues with the freedom to decide where and how work gets done. Multiple working environments provide different settings that support both individual and collaborative work, including enclosed private offices and meeting rooms at the core of the building and unassigned, open seating throughout the rest of the floors. These naturally lit office spaces reduce the need for artificial lighting and promote employee health and productivity.
Employees reserve the individual unassigned workspaces, which are outfitted with state-of-the-art monitors, ergonomic desk equipment, and soundproof panels to ensure privacy.
To support AIG’s commitment to supplier diversity, AIG’s real estate team worked with six different women-owned or minority-owned business enterprise suppliers to complete this $5.5M project.
In 2021, AIG’s Life U.S. Operations organization embarked on a journey to enhance the customer experience and reduce paper usage, kicking off a series of multi-year project initiatives. These initiatives target both new business and in-force correspondence delivery to customers. These initiatives also focus on building out our consumer portal, which will launch in 2022.
Our new consumer portal will not only improve customer experience, but also will reduce costs and the environmental impact associated with the printing and mailing of customer correspondence. This updated technology improves security measures, offers enhanced controls to combat fraud and is ADA compliant, ensuring we are catering to our customers’ needs.
call volume reduction (1.2M calls today)
in-force paper correspondence reduction (12M pieces of outbound paper today)
straight-through transaction increase, eliminating human involvement (15% STP today)
paper billing reduction (30% of customers on eBill today)
newly issued life policies electronically delivered (“eDelivered”) to customers (35% today)
PROBONO brings together a European multidisciplinary consortium of 47 partners, construction and consulting entities, public asset service managers, municipalities, technology solution providers and experts. This group is working to convert six European districts (PROBONO´s Living Labs) into Green Building Neighborhoods (GBNs) that will have positive energy balances and zero carbon emissions. The six proposed PROBONO Living Labs are in Madrid, Spain and Dublin, Ireland (both large-scale labs), as well as Porto, Portugal; Brussels, Belgium; Aarhus, Denmark and Prague, Czech Republic.
AIG’s Brussels office is located within a proposed GBN zone. Through a partnership with a key U.K. client, AIG has committed to support the GBN proposal, become a member of the advisory board and adjust our building and related services to meet the GBN targets.
AIG is transforming its services to support a sustainable food system with Compass Group UK & Ireland, AIG UK’s catering and hospitality provider. Compass Group UK&I has committed to reach Climate Net Zero by 2030 across their operations and value chain, covering scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. AIG UK’s own emissions profile will benefit from Compass UK&I’s commitments through:
- A 25% switch from animal to plant-based proteins by 2025 and a 40% switch by 2030
- A regenerative agriculture sourcing target of 70% for fresh meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables by 2030
- No air-freighted fruit and vegetables
- 100% diversion of food waste from landfill
- 100% reusable or recyclable packaging by 2023
As part of AIG's commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, there is a plan to reduce our number of printing devices to one per floor across our entire U.K. office network by 2023. The reduction will also support lowering data privacy risk through printing fewer documents.
Our U.K. business operation, pre-pandemic, saw us collectively print 3.8 million pages per year. That is roughly the equivalent to felling around 458 trees to create about 19 tonnes of paper, a process which requires 213,000 kWh of electricity and 1.66 million litres of water.
The pandemic’s impact on being able to print in the office has resulted in all figures being nearly halved. Our target now is to maintain those levels and over time, through digitisation, further reduce those levels of consumption. We are committed to 50% reduction in operational print by 2023 and 90% reduction by 2025 from 2019 levels.
Targets:
In 2021, AIG partnered with Earthwatch, an environmental non-profit, to host Operation Healthy Air, an employee engagement series around Earth Day focused on the science behind air pollution and global air quality. AIG colleagues around the globe joined the sessions to learn about the impacts of pollution on air quality and take part in air quality monitoring in their own neighborhoods. Employees used their smartphones to collect air quality data at home, which was analyzed and discussed by the Earthwatch scientists at the final program session. Operation Healthy Air educated employees about the impact of poor air quality on our health and global communities and provided useful resources on reducing pollution and exposure to unhealthy air.
As part of Global Volunteer Month and lead up to Earth Day, AIG hosted the This is the Last Straw campaign, aimed at educating colleagues on the negative environmental impacts of plastic pollution and encouraging shifting habits around plastic consumption. Participating colleagues could calculate their plastic usage, pledge to reduce their personal plastic consumption, and receive a reusable straw and tote bag to kick-start their commitment (U.S. only). AIG also shared helpful tips to reduce daily plastic consumption and encouraged colleagues to connect and share their own tips using the hashtag #ThisistheLastStraw on Yammer, AIG’s globally accessible internal forum.
compared to 2020 saving roughly 1,000 trees and 500,000 gallons of water
resulting in approximately $274,880 of savings
assets consisting of IT equipment including laptops, monitors, smartphones, servers and printers