Zurich Talks Future Planet
Shape the Future
Z-talks by Zurich
Future Planet
Together, we can stand up against climate change and protect the planet for future generations
Watch the Full Event NowZ-Talks by Zurich
No matter how small they seem, the choices we make each day impact our planet.
Z-Talks by Zurich united top figures from across diverse sectors, countries and demographics to discuss the urgent challenges we face, and the critical commitments we must all make in the fight against climate change.
The event urged us all to take immediate action and join the Zurich climate change challenge to help the future of our planet.
We need to reforest the planet, but at the same time we need to stop creating fossil fuels in everything we do. This is something that each one of us can do. Each one of us can participate.”Mario Greco
Group Chief Executive Officer
Zurich Insurance Group
Lead Scientist and Lab Founder, Crowther Lab ETH Zurich
Founder, the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace
Photographer, Founder of Instituto Terra
Founder, Bye Bye Plastic Bags and co-founder Youthtopia
Founder and co-CEO, Climeworks
co-founder and CEO, Urban Connect
Senior Vice President,
BASF SE
Lead Scientist and Lab Founder, Crowther Lab ETH Zurich
Founder, the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace
Collective action will have a lasting impact
Primatologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE was among the first to see how human behaviors impact the planet’s biodiversity and she knows first-hand the ways small actions and collective efforts can have a lasting impact on the world - especially when it comes to revitalizing natural habitats. And her actions live up to her words. Recently, Dr. Goodall vowed to plant five million trees, reaffirming her commitment to making our planet greener.
As part of Z-Talks, Zurich Insurance Group CEO Mario Greco sat down exclusively with Dr. Goodall to discuss our fight against climate change and the necessity to educate our future generations about the importance of protecting the planet.
We have to work with children, we have to work with companies, we have to work with governments, we just have to take every opportunity. And we must realise that it’s all interconnected.”Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE
Founder, the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace
Nature, Tech & Teamwork Key to Net Zero
Through the discussion at Z-Talks, one thing was made perfectly clear: collaboration is key to combating climate change. We can all pitch in by embracing sustainable consumer habits and taking small actions to restore what nature has lost.
As Professor Tim Crowther, founder of Crowther Labs, puts it: “Every little action that can bring optimism then brings more action… that’s the kind of process we need to build across every single sector of society.”
But systemic change happens when we set the right tone at the top. Governments creating ambitious climate policies. Businesses using both sides of the balance sheet to develop the technology we need to reduce emissions. Global leaders ensuring that all voices are heard.
We have a number of tools at our disposal, both in the investment side of our balance sheet as well as the insurance side, where we work with organizations to help them with products and services.Alison Martin
CEO EMEA and Bank Distribution
Zurich Insurance Group
The path to a sustainable future requires transforming our economy, a whole cultural shift, companies big and small developing sustainable products and services and driving change.
That represents exciting opportunities to shift to clean energy, invest in pioneering technology and form whole-of-society partnerships that diversify our decision-making and build sustainability into our DNA. When we put nature first, all humanity prospers - the whole planet reaps the benefits.
To have an idea is very important. But it’s not enough. You must have partners… that want as much as you to rebuild the planet.”Sebastião SalgadoPhotographer,
Founder of Instituto Terra
Ultimately, addressing climate change and addressing biodiversity loss is going to require thousands of solutions…that will need to involve every single one of us.”Tom CrowtherFounder of Crowther Labs
We should not use the word 'or' when it comes to climate change. Only use the three letters A. N. D. First, reduce massively, as much as we can, AND then remove.”Dr. Christoph GebaldFounder and co-CEO
Climeworks
We’re at the tipping point where we can change behaviour, especially in company settings… the higher goal of what we’re doing [is not] just mobility, it’s really enabling companies to become drivers of decarbonisation.”Judith Haeberlico-founder and CEO
Urban Connect
Zurich Forest Project: Partnership in Action
Non-profit Instituto Terra was founded in 1998 by Sebastião Salgado and his wife Lélia to bring native forests back to life and restore the planet’s biodiversity. With the Zurich Forest project, the Salgados’ Instituto Terra has partnered with Zurich Insurance Group to revitalise a denuded stretch of land in Brazil.
In two decades:
- More than two million trees have been planted
- Water springs have returned
- Over 250 species of animals — some of which were facing extinction — have taken shelter in the forest sanctuary.
For both Zurich and Salgado, the project is about bringing life back to land that was desolated, devastated and abandoned, and demonstrates the power of partnerships to increase the scale and reach of an individual act in solving the climate crisis.
Join Zurich in the Climate Change Challenge and share your action today.
Take Action NowBy tracking your food waste, consumption habits and movement for just two weeks, you can see how big of a difference we all can make as we tackle climate change.
Don’t wait to make a difference. Pick up a piece of litter. Forgo a plastic bag. Ride your bike to work.
Step up and meet the challenge today. Your actions can change the world.
Reduce waste
How much CO2 has been saved so far?
Conscious buying
How much CO2 has been saved so far?
Food waste
How much CO2 has been saved so far?
Total CO2 saved so far
Corporate action
US $4 trillion in clean energy investment is required by 2030 to achieve net-zero emission goals by 2050.1
1. Source: Zurich Climate Change Report 2021
Shop local
A UK study revealed that deliveries from local shops resulted in half the carbon emissions as deliveries from online-only retailers.
Eat Conscious
The FAO estimates that one-third of all food made for human consumption goes to waste each year, contributing as much to climate change as road emissions.
Travel Smart
Most urban trips are less than 5 kilometres in distance. If you switch just one trip a day from driving to cycling, walking or using an e-bike, you can reduce your carbon footprint.
Turning climate talk into climate action
It is not too late to change course.
By reducing waste, eating and buying consciously, speaking up and urging companies, governments and societies to live up to our net-zero promises, we can slash carbon emissions.
The future is in our hands. It is our responsibility to act now to build a better future for everyone.
Join the challenge
Zurich is on a mission to combat climate change, and you are invited to join in the challenge. Visit Zurich.com to take part in three different sustainability challenges: food, pollution and consumption.
You can keep track of your progress and see for yourself how big of a difference you can make in the world.
Zurich at COP26
As part of the COP26 summit happening in Glasgow, Scotland, the company has set up a special installation that celebrates everybody who takes action against climate change around the world. You can experience the installation virtually and make your pledge to help the planet today.
Understanding and managing global risks
The interconnectivity of global risks poses new problems for business. Today, risks that could previously be managed individually can have a multiplier effect when interconnected. Effective risk management needs to take these interdependencies into account. To do this, a holistic approach to risk management is required.