We aspire to be a responsibly-managed business that is Client-focused, competitive, forward-thinking, financially and environmentally resilient, and sustainable for the long term.
Operating ethically, treating our Clients and employees with utmost respect, and acting on critical environmental and societal issues are all vital components of maintaining the longevity and resiliency of our business.
Our priority Sustainable Development Goals: #5 Gender Equality and #13 Climate Change.
2021 performance:
Diversity, equity and inclusion
- Continued to focus on leadership diversity. Reached 35% women1 in Vice-President (VP)+ roles globally (target 50% by 2025) and 16% underrepresented ethnicities2 in VP+ roles in North America (target 25% by 2025).
- Achieved our minimum gender representation goals for Board members, with 42% self-identifying as women and 58% self-identifying as men. We continue to aim towards balanced gender representation by 2025.
- Expanded our commitment to Indigenous communities in Canada by working on reconciliation as defined by The Truth & Reconciliation Commissions’s Calls to Action # 92. We are using the Progressive Aboriginal Certification Program as a process to guide Sun Life towards reconciliation. Learn more about our Indigenous Commitments.
Client experience
- Proactively connected with Clients in Canada over 153 million times through Ella, our digital coach. This is up 25% from the previous year.
Talent management
- Maintained an 89% employee engagement score3, exceeding the global financial services norm4. Employees continue to indicate they are better enabled to get work done and are more likely to recommend Sun Life as a place to work.
Climate and environmental action
- Stepped up our commitment to reducing GHG emissions significantly, with a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. This announcement signals our support of more urgent action on this defining issue.
- Participated in a pilot project between the Bank of Canada, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) and five other financial institutions. We used the scenarios and guidance provided to analyze climate transition–related credit and market risks to bonds, loans and equities in the nine most carbon emission-intensive sectors in the economy.
Learn more about how Sun Life is operating as a trusted and responsible business
Footnotes:
1 Individuals who self-identify as women. Refer to Sustainability Data Scope – Note 5.
2 Canada: those who voluntarily self-identify as Visible Minorities per the Employment Equity Act; U.S.: those who voluntarily self-identify as People of Color per the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
3 72% of employees surveyed participated. Refer to Sustainability Data Scope – Note 2.
4 Based on Willis Towers Watson’s Benchmark of Global High Performance Companies and Global Financial Services