The economic crisis has shown the importance of a long-term management approach. With renewed growth on the horizon, a prudent approach to financial risk management and regulation will govern the financial industry, the new Allianz Sustainability Report 2009 (www.allianz.com/sustainability) finds.

Entitled "Managing risks - creating solutions", the report describes the company's approach to integrate sustainable development practices in day-to-day decision making.

Long-term megatrends such as climate change and environmental protection remain equally important for the insurance sector. Therefore, Allianz continues to research into the impacts of climate change-triggered natural catastrophes on its core business.

The report also details how Allianz builds on the business opportunities that climate change offers: So far, more than 30 products help to mitigate climate change or adapt to the inevitable impacts. Among them are a toolkit that helps German home owners improve energy efficiency in their homes and a crop insurance policy that protects Russian farmers against extreme weather events.

Allianz also continues to invest in renewable energy, which helps built a climate-friendly economy, while providing important financial stimulus. Allianz-owned wind parks, worth over €500 million, now produce some 240 Megawatt of electricity, enough to power 200,000 households. Investments in wind and solar power (photovoltaic) of another €1.2 billion are scheduled until 2012.

These efforts have been rewarded with another mention in the annual Leadership Index assembled by the Carbon Disclosure Project. Allianz scores among the most environmentally friendly 10% of the world's top 500 companies and ranks first among direct insurers.

In this year's Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) rating Allianz has achieved again a top position in the insurance sector with a total score of 79%, an increase of 3% points compared to last year's rating. Allianz thus managed to improve while the average sector performance fell from 50 to 49%.

Other than financial and environmental activities, the 8th edition of the annual Allianz Sustainability Report also describes the latest initiatives in the fields of demographic change, health, and microinsurance for the world's poorest. More than 1.8 million people in developing countries are now protected by Allianz microinsurance policies.

A specific chapter has been dedicated to community and employee engagement programs and a new approach to enhance the impact of such projects.

More initiatives as well as the challenges we face along the way can be found at: www.allianz.com/sustainability. We are looking forward to your feedback.

Press contact:
Nicolai Tewes, Allianz SE.

About Allianz:
Allianz SE is one of the leading international financial services providers. With over 182,000 employees worldwide, Allianz serves more than 75 million customers in about 70 countries around the world.

Allianz SE is a member of Transparency International and supports the Principles of the United Nations global Compact and the OECD Guidelines for Multinationals through its Code of Conduct. Allianz SE is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World, in FTSE4GOOD and in the Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDP6).

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Our world is facing unprecedented challenges ranging from climate change to rapidly growing populations in some parts of the planet, and rapidly aging societies in others.

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