A COMMITMENT TO ETHICS
When customers buy insurance, they are purchasing a promise and a commitment that their insurer will be there for them when needed. Customers need to trust their insurer will do the right thing.
But an expectation that a company will live up to its promises is merely a starting point in today’s business environment. Stakeholders expect companies to take a broader view, to strive to improve the world around them.
The Hartford strives to be one of those companies. We are proud that our efforts are being recognized as the Ethisphere Institute has named The Hartford one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” for the fifth year in a row. The 2012 award acknowledges our sustained commitment to ethical practices, environmental stewardship and community involvement.
Newsweek magazine ranked The Hartford No. 12 on its annual “Green Rankings” for U.S. companies, the highest of all financial services firms. Our environmental milestones include:
- Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15 percent in just three years and targeting an additional 20 percent reduction by 2017;
- Saving 32,310 trees by decreasing our paper use by 1,901 tons; and
- Promoting energy conservation by offering a new discount on auto insurance policies for drivers of electric vehicles.
We are also focused on improving the communities in which we live and work. The Hartford made the Asylum Hill neighborhood in our namesake city a philanthropic priority, pledging $7 million over five years to revitalize the area, improve education for local children, and support families that live here. In spring 2012, we committed $2 million to help the city purchase and demolish the Capitol West building, a longtime eyesore, and transform the property into an urban green space for our neighbors.
The pursuit of diversity and inclusion is a business imperative for us. We need our workforce to mirror our marketplace and communities so we can better meet the evolving needs of customers and partners and become a magnet for diverse talent. We want The Hartford to be an organization where people can succeed because of their differences, not in spite of them. In 2012, we launched an initiative to hold leaders accountable for aligning The Hartford’s diversity and inclusion strategy with business objectives.
