Social Enterprise: How Zurich is creating a positive impact
10/28/2020
At Zurich, we can help to create a positive social impact simply by changing our buying behaviour. This is called social procurement. It’s where we embed our purpose and values into our supply chain by opening it up to social enterprises – these are businesses that are focused on creating positive social change.
What is social enterprise?
- Social enterprises have a clear and primary social or environmental mission set out in their governing documents.
- Social enterprises reinvest the majority of their profits in pursuit of their mission.
- Social enterprises are majority controlled in the interests of the enterprise’s mission and are autonomous of state.
In some business units across the Zurich Group, we are already supporting social enterprises. And, as part of our soon-to-be-launched Sustainable Sourcing Vision, we are encouraging business units across the Zurich Group to actively seek to procure products and services with organizations that drive positive societal, environmental and ethical outcomes.
Some of the social enterprises Zurich work with:
Ninety Consulting
Ninety Consulting is turning global insurance innovation into global poverty alleviation. They believe in the power of innovation and customer-centred change and that insurance is fundamentally a force for social good. Ninety Consulting has been working with Zurich for several years and has helped to launch the ‘Zurich Innovation Foundry’ amongst other innovative initiatives.
Ninety Consulting is on a mission to change the world. 90% of their profits are distributed to charity and they offset as much of their carbon footprint as possible via investments in a number of carbon neutralisation projects.
Auticon
Auticon is an IT consulting business where all their consultants are on the autism spectrum.
Autism affects a person’s cognition, perception, emotions, and behaviours. Auticon currently employs more than 150 autistic professionals across the UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the USA.
Even though autistic adults often have extraordinary technical or cognitive abilities, many find it difficult to secure or maintain mainstream employment. Auticon leverages this potential and is the first enterprise to exclusively employ autistic adults as consultants. By creating autism-positive work environments and offering tailored and sustained support mechanisms to its autistic employees, Auticon is able to provide its clients with a means to tap into the amazing talents of autistic people while creating rewarding long-term careers for its team.
Clarity & Co
Clarity & Co don’t see disability, they see workability. At Clarity & Co they believe everyone who can work should be given the opportunity to do just that. They craft luxury bath and beauty products, alongside quality everyday cleaning and toiletry products.
Of Clarity & Co’s staff members:
- Nearly 80% have a disability or long-term health condition.
- Over a third of these are blind or have a visual impairment.
- Nearly 15% have learning differences.
- Over 6% have mental health difficulties.
- Over 5% have a physical disability.
Additionally, Clarity & Co are committed to protecting the environment. Their brands carry The Plant Mark which was awarded for their dedication to sustainability and a commitment to reduce carbon footprint by 5% annually.
WildHearts
WildHearts Group is a portfolio of companies that, through their activities and profits, create global social change. The profits from their customers spend, fund the work of WildHearts Foundation, a registered charity, which changes lives locally and globally.
WildHearts social initiatives are diverse; from addressing social mobility in the UK by equipping young people with key development and employability skills, to addressing gender inequality in the developing world through our StartHer Strategy.
