United Nations Global Compact 2010

Communication on progress

"We believe that positive and sustainable commercial outcomes only come from a properly joined-up understanding of our commitments to our people, our customers, our environment and the communities in which we work. In light of this we are delighted to have deepened our partnership with the UN Global Compact."

Andrew Moss
Group Chief Executive

We support The Global Compact

Chief executive statement of support

Ten years into our United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) membership we remain expressly committed to upholding the ten principles of the initiative, to which all companies can aspire. We continue to strive to embed these principles of sustainability and responsibility within our business practices. At Aviva, our purpose is to deliver prosperity and peace of mind for our customers and this can only be achieved by acting responsibly, sustainably and with integrity.

We are acutely aware of the network of interdependency that links us and our stakeholders. We recognise the responsibility of companies like Aviva to take a lead and support others in good governance, embedding and valuing sustainability and in contributing to the wider goals of the UN such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's). We were therefore delighted to join the Global Compact LEAD network and we welcome the challenge of implementing the Blueprint for Corporate Sustainability Leadership.

We have a long track record of publicly disclosing sustainability related information about our company. Aviva was the first company in the UK, and the first financial services group in the world, to present its corporate responsibility (CR) report to a separate investor vote at its 2010 Annual General Meeting (AGM) - achieving a 99.7% positive response. This CR report and other publicly available information function as our UNGC Communication on Progress.

From our long-term carbon reduction targets to our Street to School programme helping 500,000 street children and our advocacy of sustainable stock markets, we are playing our part in delivering prosperity and peace of mind, not just for our customers but for our wider stakeholders. We remain deeply committed to this task, to improving our own performance and helping others to do likewise. It’s good for our business and good for all of us.

Global compact advanced level report

This report provides information on our self assessment of compliance with the 24 advanced criteria for our annual communication on progress (COP). We have considered a criterion as met where at least one of the commonly accepted best practices suggested under each criterion has been met or where there are plans for its implementation.

The information is provided through hyperlinks that appear below the suggested best practice and that link to publicly disclosed information (ie Aviva's annual report and accounts, corporate responsibility report and website aviva.com)

Aviva continues to strive to embed the ten UN Global Compact principles implementing these throughout the company and challenging ourselves to do more both within Aviva and through our influence as a sustainability leader.

Back to top

Strategy, governance and engagement

Criterion 1: The COP describes C-suite and board level discussions of strategic aspects of Global Compact implementation

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 2: The COP describes effective decision-making processes and systems of governance for corporate sustainability

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 3: The COP describes engagement with all important stakeholders

Suggested best practices:

Back to top

UN goals and issues

Criterion 4: The COP describes actions taken in support of broader UN goals and issues

Suggested best practices:

Back to top

Human rights implementation

Criterion 5: The COP describes robust commitments, strategies or policies in the area of human rights

Suggested best practices:

  • Reference to relevant international conventions and other international instruments (eg, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
    Diversity and human rights
    Child rights
    Note: Additionally, reference to the Convention on the Rights of the Child will appear in our child safeguarding guidance in final quarter of 2011.
  • Written company policy (eg, in code of conduct) on human rights
    CR policy (PDF 180KB)
  • Allocation of responsibilities and accountability within the organisation
    CR policy (PDF 180KB)
  • Other: Human rights are deeply embedded in our Environment Social and Governance issues (ESG)
    Vedanta case (Aviva Investors)
Criterion 6: The COP describes effective management systems to integrate the human rights principles

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 7: The COP describes effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of human rights integration

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 8: The COP contains standardised performance indicators (including Global Reporting Initiative - GRI) on human rights

Suggested best practices:

Back to top

Labour principles implementation

Criterion 9: The COP describes robust commitments, strategies or policies in the area of labour

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 10: The COP describes effective management systems to integrate the labour principles

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 11: The COP describes effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of labour principles integration

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 12: The COP contains standardised performance indicators (including Global Reporting Initiative - GRI) on labour principles integration

Suggested best practices:

Back to top

Environmental stewardship implementation

Criterion 13: The COP describes robust commitments, strategies or policies in the area of environmental stewardship

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 14: The COP describes effective management systems to integrate the environmental principles

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 15: The COP describes effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for environmental stewardship

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 16: The COP contains standardised performance indicators (including Global Reporting Initiative - GRI) on environmental stewardship

Suggested best practices:

Back to top

Anti-corruption implementation

Criterion 17: The COP describes robust commitments, strategies or policies in the area of anti-corruption

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 18: The COP describes effective management systems to integrate the anti-corruption principle

Suggested best practices:

  • Risk and impact assessments in the area of anti-corruption
    Note: We carry out financial crime risk assessments, but the results of these assessments are not published externally.
  • Regular stakeholder consultations in the area of anti-corruption
    Aviva Membership of Association of British Insurers (ABI) – view page 5 on this website
    Note: As part of our membership of the ABI, we are involved in the financial crime workshops regarding policies and legal consultations.
  • Internal awareness-raising and training on anti-corruption efforts for management and employees
    Business ethics
  • Grievance mechanisms, communication channels and other procedures (eg, whistleblower mechanisms) for reporting concerns or seeking advice on corruption
    Right Call
  • Inclusion of minimum anti-corruption standards in contracts with suppliers and other relevant business partners
    Suppliers
  • Audits or other steps to monitor corruption and improve the performance of companies in the supply chain
    Suppliers
Criterion 19: The COP describes effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for the integration of anti-corruption

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 20: The COP contains standardised performance indicators (including Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) on anti-corruption

Suggested best practices:

  • Outcomes of internal awareness-raising efforts and training for management and employees
    Key performance indicators - business ethics
  • Percentage of contracts with a minimum anti-corruption standard
    Note: All contracts include minimum anti-corruption standards, however this is not reported externally.

Back to top

Value chain implementation

Criterion 21: The COP describes implementation of the Global Compact principles in the value chain

Suggested best practices:

Back to top

Transparency and verification

Criterion 22: The COP provides information on the company's profile and context of operation

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 23: The COP incorporates high standards of transparency and disclosure

Suggested best practices:

Criterion 24: The COP is independently verified by a credible third party

Suggested best practices:

Back to top

Investor tools

Log in | Register | What's this?

Close

Choose your country's website: