Naturesave was founded by former Lloyds insurance broker, Mathew Criddle, in 1993 when the environmental movement in business was in its infancy. Matthew created the business to act as a vehicle for sustainability within insurance industry
I realised that, although the insurance industry was not taking environmental issues seriously, it would be in the front line in dealing with the consequences of environmental disasters. At the same time, I realised that the insurance industry possesses an almost unparalleled potential to reduce the impact of climate change by actively promoting the production and consumption of sustainable alternatives to energy derived from fossil fuels. I also wanted to develop a sustainable business model that reflected the growing demand by individuals and organisations for greener and more ethical insurance
This from the outset, Naturesave has donated 10% of its household and travel insurance premiums into its charity, the Naturesave Trust. This donation represents over 10% of the company’s cumulative income and over half its profits.
The Trust then provides grants of between £500 and £5,000 to small-scale, grassroots environmental and conservation projects, organisations and charities in the UK. The diverse range of the 500-plus funded projects include, renewable energy, low carbon transport, nature conservation, community agriculture, recycling and repair and eco-education. Past and present recipients of Naturesave Trust funds include: the Solar Bee Project whose innovative beehive design can eradicate the deadly Varroa mite without using toxic pesticides; trials by the Marine Conservation Society of a boat-mooring system that protects the seabed from damage done by conventional moorings and allows areas of seagrass to regenerate; a start-up grant for low-emission light rail transport using flywheel technology; grants to open ‘repair cafes’, a project to enable prisoners to refurbish bikes; and a land restoration project in West Wales that uses pigs to restore areas overrun with bracken back to their original, biodiverse-rich state. Full details of all the projects funded by the Naturesave Trust can be found at naturesave.co.uk.
Alongside grant-funding, an additional Trust program provides bespoke professional advice, based on the Bioregional’s One Planet Living Framework, to small and medium-sized companies that want to make their trading practices more sustainable.
After nearly 30 years, Naturesave has firmly established itself as the leading ethical insurance provider in the UK. Our achievements have been recognised in numerous awards, most notably the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in 2011. Naturesave was also at the forefront of low carbon travel when it pioneered a policy of encouraging staff to choose low carbon holiday travel by offering additional paid holiday for those who opt not to fly. This policy has since been developed into the Climate Perks Initiative and is now being adopted by leading eco conscious organisations.
Here’s Matthew Criddle reflecting on these achievements;
We’re delighted to have reached this milestone, especially during such a challenging year for businesses. There has never been a more critical time for the work of the Naturesave Trust and there are many projects that we would like to support that can make a real difference to people and the planet. I would like to thank all our loyal customers and stakeholders for helping Naturesave to achieve this.
Learn more about the Naturesave Trust
Check out our ethical home insurance offer
Find out how we can insure your business
Read about our report The Insurance Industry’s Climate Change Challenge