Original text here from Patrice Bernard (LinkedIn)
Despite several interesting individual initiatives, I haven't yet encountered an example of environmental responsibility as comprehensive as that of the British insurer "The Green Insurer", which officially opened its doors earlier this month and truly lives up to its name.
Currently focusing solely on automobiles, this startup revives a once popular concept that seems to have been largely abandoned. Its aim is to encourage clients to drive in a more energy-efficient manner, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions from their vehicles.
Customers can participate by downloading a dedicated app, which continuously assesses their driving behavior—factors like acceleration and braking, speed around corners, adherence to speed limits, and phone usage—to generate a 'green score'. This score, combined with annual mileage and vehicle specifications, helps estimate the car's carbon footprint.
Each measurable positive action for the planet, whether reducing travel distances or adopting calmer driving habits, earns rewards (counted in 'leaves' instead of points). These can be exchanged for gift cards from a selection of partner businesses committed to environmental sustainability.
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This system is triply virtuous. Beyond its primary goal of reducing environmental impact, the incentives also help limit the risk and severity of accidents, leading to better control over insurance costs, and reduce motorists' expenses on fuel and maintenance, providing additional motivation to participate.
But The Green Insurer doesn't stop there. Its policies automatically include compensation for the CO2 emissions of each insured vehicle, as accurately measured by its app. The company also displays rare transparency about the selected projects for this compensation, which additionally include a social aspect. The insurer applies the same mechanism to offset its own operational footprint.
A key feature of its model is that it doesn't just demand efforts from its clients but also aims for excellence in its internal operations. From operating without physical offices (employees work from home) to repairing damage with reused parts and using second-hand equipment, as well as having each employee sign a green charter, the startup strives to set an example.
Considering that automobiles are a major source of environmental degradation and insurers, right behind manufacturers, are key players in influencing drivers, it's high time they support the much-delayed transition towards sustainability. In this regard, The Green Insurer is leading the way, and I'm absolutely convinced that this approach will soon become a key performance factor.
