As a leading player in the reinsurance industry, the commercial success of Hannover Re is crucially dependent on the correct assessment of present and emerging risks. In the process of evaluating risks we are faced today with growing complexity as a consequence of the increasing importance attached to various aspects of sustainability. In some instances these also have direct strategic and operational relevance to our reinsurance products and our investments. Our goal, therefore, is to achieve economic success on the basis of a profit-oriented business model – while at the same time acting in accordance with the needs of our staff and the company and giving due consideration to conservation of the environment and natural resources.

With this in mind, in 2011 we drew up a Sustainability Strategy for Hannover Re in which we explicitly committed to our strategic objective of sustainable value creation. This Sustainability Strategy is based on the implementation of all compliance requirements and fleshes out in more concrete terms the higher-level corporate strategy of the Hannover Re Group. We systematically adhered to this Sustainability Strategy in the 2014 financial year. The inclusion of Hannover Re in the internationally recognised sustainability index FTSE4Good in the fourth quarter of 2014 is a testament to our achievements.

Sustainable action is not, however, something which is static; rather, it must take place dynamically and in accordance with changing environmental circumstances. In conformity with the Group Strategy, therefore, our sustainability considerations are regularly reviewed every three years and revised as necessary. Going forward, our refined Sustainability Strategy for the years 2015 to 2017 defines the following four action fields as well as specific goals and measures:

• Governance and dialogue
• Product responsibility
• Successful employees
• Environmental protection and social commitment

For details of Hannover Re’s new Sustainability Strategy please see www.hannover-re.com/sustainability/index.html.