Moving to electric cars will be a critical part of the long-term response to the climate crisis and in AXA we are delighted to support the growing interest from motorists in going electric. We insure a growing number of motorists driving electric cars and we provide cover against loss or damage not just for the cars themselves but for battery and charging cable just as we would any other part of the vehicle.
But the move to electric won’t happen overnight and hundreds of thousands of motorists who are currently driving petrol or diesel cars also want to do their part to address the climate crisis.
That’s why last month we announced a major environmental initiative which was built around – but is much larger than – the idea of offsetting the carbon produced by the private cars we insure on the island of Ireland for the coming year.
In response to your questions, the programme has two parts.
Carbon Offsetting Programme
This is a €4 million investment to finance wind, hydro and solar based projects designed for carbon offsetting the emissions from our customers driving over the next 12 months. The programme will be managed by Ecologi which supports carbon offsetting projects across the world, and which works with partners like the Eden Reforestation Project.
Woodland Planting Programme
AXA also announced a partnership with a new not for profit entity called Nature Trust. The aim of the new organisation is to create new native Irish woodlands at scale. Less than 2% of Ireland is covered by native woodland and we’re proud to help deliver native woodlands at scale across the country. As well as having a positive impact on the environment, the creation of new woodlands will provide important animal habitats and create public spaces we can all enjoy for years to come. Tree planting will commence in Q4 2021 and AXA is contributing €2 million to support the programme. The focus is on native trees including oak, ash, birch and holly - all based on what's most suitable and beneficial for the conditions at each site we plant. The tree planting and management will be in the hands of the experts, not AXA.
In AXA we think initiatives like this are important. They enable motorists to do their bit to offset the carbon their cars produce. They are a step along the way, empowering consumers to do more to offset the carbon produced by their activities, whilst they transition to greener vehicles over time, and we are also using our carbon calculator to make people aware of the emissions from the vehicle.
Earlier this year we reached out to customers to see what they think about the growing environmental crisis. We found a marked interest in taking direct action on the climate issue. Our survey found, for example, that:
59% of respondents across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland said that they are proactively reducing their own carbon footprints.
77% of respondents said that AXA should treat climate change as “a high or top priority”
We think this carbon initiative responds to this consumer demand and will help educate consumers about the impact of their activities on the climate.