AXA Sigorta supports fight against climate change with the “Earth-Friendly Insurance” approach; and in this respect, they announced a new project called “Be Active for the World”, which focuses on people’s health and physical activity. Carried out in coordination with Active Living Association and WWF-Turkey (World Wildlife Foundation), the project emphasizes that the value created by a more active lifestyle for human health could be created for the world’s immune system in terms of global warming and climate crisis.

Based on a research measuring the current situation and perception about physical activity, health and climate change, which was conducted by ADHOC and İstanbulON Urban Mobility Lab ITU across Turkey, the project focuses on creating value in two points: Ensuring that leading a more active life is included among the options towards reducing our carbon footprint at a time when it is essential to do so, and reducing the negative impacts of an inactive lifestyle on human health, and the unmanageable risks, costs and environmental impacts it will create on the health system.

Ultimate target of the project is to initially increase our social awareness, and to encourage individuals to be more active; and therefore reduce their carbon footprint and get them to live a healthier life. The project was announced via an online press conference on June 4, attended by Yavuz Ölken, CEO of AXA Sigorta; Şule Serter, Assistant Chairman of Active Living Association; and Aslı Pasinli, CEO of WWF-Turkey. The meeting was also attended by hundreds of AXA Sigorta agents who support the company within the scope of “Earth-Friendly Agency” program.

78.7% of the people believe that they would be more physically active if it would make a difference for climate change

Stating that creating value for social life and environment is of strategic importance for AXA Sigorta, in addition to developing innovative insurance solutions, Yavuz Ölken, CEO of AXA Sigorta, said: “Global warming and climate change which are threatening the immunity of our world are listed as the top risk in AXA Future Risks Report for four years in a row. However, due to the connectivity of those risks with each other, they are directly or indirectly causing other risks such as epidemics and geopolitical instability. At this point, reducing our carbon footprint that we cause as humanity is a significant change factor; which requires us to change our living habits with a rational perspective. The target of our ‘Be Active for the World’ project is to attract attention to the danger world resources are facing and the fact that people can create a value by being more active, while increasing their awareness about the carbon footprint they leave with every action. Our research indicates that a more active lifestyle is regarded as a luxury by our society and that 2/3rd of our society does not get the required level of physical activity. However, it is estimated that illnesses arising from inaction cause an impact of over 7 billion TL on Turkish health system and social security. Carbon footprint of living an unknowingly unhealthy, or in other words, an inactive life is 17.8 million tons a year. Leading a more active life means reducing the health expenses and also carbon footprint. It is possible to reduce our carbon footprint we cause by being more careful about consuming world’s resources, to reduce the cost and carbon footprint on the health system due to illnesses caused by inactivity, and therefore to turn our footprint on the world into a proud-print if we are more active and if we use our own energy more.

We can reduce our carbon footprint by 50 percent if we walk or ride a bicycle for short distance transportation or for fun and spare time activity. Limiting our vehicle usage to twice or three times a week and taking more number of steps might result in turning carbon emission levels back to the levels before 1990; while using bicycle regularly reduces the risk of illnesses causing death in adults by 28 percent. Good news from our research is that 78.7 percent of the people say that they will be more active if it will make a difference about climate change. And we hope to make a contribution to fight against climate change through the activities we will carry out within the scope of our project in the future by setting our ecosystem in motion. We are happy to be working with our business partners that will support us with their expertise in this project, Active Living Assocation and WWF-Turkey (World Wildlife Fund). We have always been and will continue to be inspired by their work.”