Aviva’s Board CSR Committee, chaired by senior non-executive director Wim Dik, approves our CSR strategy, policies and plans, and reports to the plc Board at regular intervals during the year with updates and reviews. John Ainley, group HR director, leads teams from the group, regions and business units to implement the strategy.

In 2007, we organised our ninth annual global CSR conference, which brought together 50 CSR representatives from across the group. This is an important forum for the group to discuss Aviva’s approach, review progress and target areas that need more action. For us, it’s a platform that allows us to share ideas that have worked well in one business and could be adapted to other Aviva operations. It also provides an opportunity to educate our CSR professionals on key issues such as climate change and diversity. To keep the momentum, we make sure that the group CSR team engages with regional representatives and, through them, business unit CSR representatives, to ensure our strategy is effectively implemented.

The two-day CSR conference in Paris, hosted by director of CSR, Louella Eastman, was attended by employees around the group with a specific responsibility for managing an aspect of CSR in their businesses. The group reviewed the company’s new risk management framework and examined some of Aviva’s largest initiatives, including its carbon-offsetting projects. A major emphasis was on how to improve CSR communications, share good practice and increase levels of employee engagement. Other topics, including CSR reporting and how to measure local impacts was a key feature. Commitments were made by all participants to further develop CSR practices in their businesses and regional operations.