Allianz Trade: Driving Energy Transition With ESG Strategies

Sustainability is becoming a defining force in how energy systems are financed, insured and scaled, with trade credit insurers playing a direct role in the transition.

Allianz Trade’s latest Sustainability Handbook 2025 sets out how the company is embedding climate considerations into underwriting, investment and risk analytics, with energy transition emerging as a core thread linking its operations to client support.

The insurer positions sustainability as a practical lever for accelerating decarbonisation across industries.

Its approach reflects a broader shift in financial services, where energy transition risk and opportunity are increasingly shaping capital allocation and long-term strategy.

“Sustainability is not just an ambition: it is a responsibility,” says Aylin Somersan Coqui, CEO at Allianz Trade.

“Sustainability has steadily become part of how we operate and how we support our clients and partners.”

Embedding energy into risk and finance

Energy transition considerations are now integrated into Allianz Trade’s core processes, including credit risk assessments and underwriting decisions.

This ensures that exposure to carbon-intensive sectors, physical climate risks and transition pathways are evaluated consistently across portfolios.

The company aligns with Allianz Group’s net-zero target for 2050 and incorporates global frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals into its strategy.

These commitments are supported by tools developed with Allianz Risk Consultancy, including climate risk analytics platforms that help businesses assess exposure and build resilience.

Recognition of these efforts has been reflected in its EcoVadis Gold Medal rating, placing Allianz Trade among the top 5% of companies assessed in 2025, with a score of 81 out of 100.

Supply chains under energy pressure

The energy transition is also reshaping supply chains, where ESG considerations are becoming as important as cost and efficiency.

Allianz Trade’s survey of 4,500 companies highlights that 81% now rank ESG factors as the most important criterion when selecting suppliers or production locations.

This shift reflects growing concern over energy intensity, carbon footprints and regulatory exposure within global value chains.

ESG risks are now seen as a major threat to offshore production and supply chain stability as energy costs and decarbonisation requirements tighten.

In response, Allianz Trade has embedded sustainability into procurement processes, requiring suppliers to adhere to the Allianz Vendor Code of Conduct and the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act.

The company's risk analyses span labour rights, ESG scores and environmental indicators, helping identify vulnerabilities linked to energy use and emissions

“From export growth, sustainability transition and supply chain resilience to investment priorities and AI adoption, the survey helped us design solutions that address companies’ most urgent needs,” says the report.

Piril Kadibesegil Yasar, Head of Sustainability at Allianz Trade, says: “The idea behind this plan is to turn our colleagues into sustainability ambassadors so that, ultimately, we can spread a more sustainable mindset across the entire trade finance ecosystem.

“We train and empower our people to integrate sustainable thinking into all business areas, thereby creating a ripple effect that reaches our clients, brokers and partners.

“We are convinced that this is the best way to drive meaningful change within the industry.”

Financing decarbonisation and clean energy

At the core of Allianz Trade’s strategy is its role in supporting energy transition projects through financial solutions.

Its Green2Green offering provides insurance and guarantees for low-carbon technologies, including renewable energy, biofuels and electric transport infrastructure.

“Since the launch of our Green2Green offering, 98 policies have been issued across 16 countries and 3 continents,” says Piril.

“From biogas plants and solar parks to energy highways and decarbonisation projects, we cover a wide range of sectors and initiatives at global scale.

“And with the recent launch of Social2Social Specialty Credit, we are now going beyond climate goals to include social responsibility in our sustainability commitments.”

Projects supported include wind energy expansion in Germany and renewable developments in Poland, showing how insurance-backed finance can help de-risk large-scale infrastructure and accelerate deployment.

A key feature of this model is the reinvestment of premiums into certified green bonds, creating a circular flow of capital that reinforces investment in clean energy systems.

Alongside external projects, Allianz Trade is also focusing on reducing its own operational footprint.

It reports a 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per employee compared with 2019 levels, supported by 100% renewable electricity usage, electrification of its vehicle fleet and energy-efficient building systems.

AI and data shaping energy decisions

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in how energy transition risks are assessed and managed.

Allianz Trade is using AI to enhance ESG analytics, enabling faster identification of climate-related vulnerabilities across sectors.

“In 2025, we strengthened the design of our sustainability-related insights and tools,” says Florence Lecoutre, Group Board Member in charge of Sustainability, Data Analytics & AI, Human Resources, Compliance and Communications at Allianz Trade.

“For instance, we equipped our analysts with enhanced sector outlooks and practical tools for more forward-looking, regulation-aware assessment of transition and physical risks.

“This helps us provide clearer perspectives to clients and better integrate sustainability considerations into our commercial and risk activities.

“We are accelerating the integration of sustainability into every dimension of our business.

“Our ambition is clear: to lead with responsibility, empower our clients through change and contribute to a more resilient and equitable global economy.”

AI-driven tools such as the ReLoC model use large language models and external datasets to classify companies based on their involvement in low-carbon technologies. This supports underwriting, product development and regulatory reporting, while improving the consistency of sustainability data.

Partnerships with organisations such as ECOFACT further enhance ESG integration in credit assessments, providing sector-specific insights into regulatory developments and transition risks.

Together, these capabilities are enabling more informed decisions on where and how capital is deployed in the energy transition.