Partner Spotlight: Zurich, Isle of Man

Biosphere Isle of Man Partner Zurich is renowned for its 40+ year history as a business and employer here on the Island – and its 150+ years as a global leader in insurance.  
 
Locally and globally, it is also a business that’s leading by example on sustainability – and that commitment includes Zurich on the Isle of Man being proud to be a UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man Partner since 2019.  
 
Mark Cady, Chief Operating Officer, Zurich International Life Ltd, comments: “Our parent company, Zurich Insurance Group, has a longstanding commitment to sustainability. Our colleagues here on the Island and around the world really buy in to these commitments, and it’s thanks to this high level of engagement that we have been able to make progress towards local and group net-zero targets. Sustainability for us is not just about reducing the carbon footprint of the business, it also includes helping our customers to manage the risks of climate change too. Zurich’s mission is to create a brighter future together, and this inspires our Isle of Man team to explore innovative ways our business can have a positive impact as an insurer, investor, employer and in society. We also want to partner with others who share our goal to drive transformative change so we can all thrive today and in the future. This is why we’re proud and delighted to be a UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man Partner.” 
 
Zurich’s progress towards its local net-zero goals have generated a lot of interest from businesses here on the Island looking to learn from their example. So let’s look back at some of the company’s achievement highlights in recent years.  
 
2018 
Zurich House – the company’s HQ at Isle of Man Business Park – opened in this year and today it is still one of the most modern and sustainable office buildings on the Island. The building is BREEAM accredited which means it was specifically designed with sustainability in mind, particularly in regard to efficient use of power and water. 
 
2019 
Zurich signed up to the Biosphere Pledge and became a UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man Partner. At a global level Zurich Insurance Group became the first insurer in the world to sign up to the UN’s 1.5 Celsius Business Ambition. Since then the Group has created a Sustainability Leadership Council (SLC) and a 1.5 Task Force. 
 
2020 
A year in which the Isle of Man and the world had to cope with Covid lockdowns. Even so, both here on the Island and globally, Zurich used the time wisely. Plans were drawn up to reduce water usage at the company’s IOM offices and these would deliver benefits from 2021 onwards. Globally, Zurich Insurance Group was rated as the number one company in the insurance sector for the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI).  
 
2021 
A series of measures began to be implemented that in the long-term would help to significantly reduce electricity consumption at Zurich House. This included installing an intelligent lighting control system and energy efficient monitors/screens and introducing new working practices to make sure all devices are switched off when not in use. After months of research and feasibility studies, proposals were also drawn up to build a solar array with the capacity to generate up to 200 kilowatts (200,000 watts) of electricity. That power output is equal to about 130 Sir Mark Cavendish's sprinting at full speed at the end of a Tour de France stage! Or enough to power 2,000 100watt lightbulbs. Planning permission for the project was granted in December.  
 
2022 
The solar power system – which was the biggest of its type on the Island at the time – became operational in July. Solely funded from within Zurich, the company contracted Isle of Man firm Ardern & Druggan to design and build the 540-panel solar array on the roof of the multistorey car park next to Zurich House. In addition to providing power for its office, the solar array also contributes to sustainability due to guttering designed to harvest rainwater. The solar project was a key factor behind Zurich winning the Energy category in the 2022 UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man Awards.  
 
2023 
One year on from its launch, Zurich announced the results of power generated from the solar power system. Data gathered from August 2022 to July 2023 showed that it had generated 47% of the electricity used at Zurich House. In addition to increasing the percentage of electricity used from renewables, Zurich on the Isle of Man also announced that over three years (from 2021 to 2023) the business had cut its electricity consumption by 25%. These achievements contributed to Zurich winning the Energy category in the UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man Awards for the second year running. 
 
2024 
The solar power system continued to perform well in this year and plans were being made to invest in smart technology for Zurich House to improve energy efficiency and enhance employee wellbeing at the same time.  
 
2025 
Innovative smart technology installed at Zurich House at the start of 2025 is now generating data which is fed into a live dashboard that allows the office environment across the building to be accurately monitored and managed. This means temperature, humidity, air quality and pressure levels can be customised. It’s being used in conjunction with an existing ‘light harvesting' system that optimises the balance of natural and artificial light in the building. All of this results in a win-win for energy efficiency, and for health and wellbeing by creating ideal working conditions for employees. 
 
As you can see, the Zurich team locally and globally have achieved a lot – but there’s more to come, so watch this space! 
 
Click here to read more about Zurich Insurance Group’s commitment to sustainability.