The Use of ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems in the Process of Preparation and Provision of Environmental Insurance

Abstract

<jats:p>The purpose of the research is to assess usefulness of the implemented and certified management systems for preparation and provision of insurance. Data was collected by means of non‑real‑time, time‑extended, text‑based online focus groups, obtained via Bulletin Board platform. Respondents were selected according to judgmental sampling, and were insurance sector experts. The template analyses of the interview transcript supported by a narrative approach were conducted. The research demonstrated that environmental insurance and ISO 14001 environmental management systems (EMSs) at present, remain in Poland almost entirely independent of each other. Representatives of insurance industry do not use the information about the system implementation while preparing and providing insurance cover. ISO 14001 EMSs present little credibility for insurance experts and according to the respondents, their implementation does not significantly and undoubtedly affect the level of the covered risk. Consequently, insurance buyers do not profit from insurance (lower premiums, improved insurance scope) resulting from the implementation of ISO 14001 systems. Industry representatives, however, use – albeit unconsciously – systemic documentation in the process of preparation and provision of insurance cover. They also examine systemic processes performed in the organisation at the stage of risk assessment. Improvement of credibility of certification process, based on profound cooperation between certification institutions and insurance industry may increase the importance of ISO 14001 EMSs for the process of preparation and provision of insurance cover.</jats:p>

Environmental insurance and ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems – analysis of the willingness to implement systemic solutions relevant to insurance

“…As both the current study and previous analyses show, integration of ISO 14001 EMSs and environmental insurance seems to only be attainable in the long-term perspective (Lemkowska, 2020a;Lemkowska, 2020b) once multiple groups of stakeholders (insurance companies, the state, environmental organisations) have been involved in the process. Their commitment should be aimed at fostering organisations' insurance awareness and making the conditions of the decision-making process that will take place there increasingly accurate and precise.…”

“…It is essential both to indicate the expected systemic solutions which will facilitate providing insurance cover and to build up a catalogue of motivators for implementing thereof. In view of the very meagre interest expressed by insurers themselves (Lemkowska, 2020b) due to i.e. the relatively small size of the environmental insurance market in Poland, the dominant role should be played by the public institutions.…”

“…Nevertheless, despite the initially strong interest in the integration of the analysed environmental risk management tools, it was never completed in practice. According to the insurance sector representatives, a lack of uniform interpretations of the standard and divergent and unsatisfactory implementations of the systemic solutions in organisations constitute the essential barriers to applying ISO 14001 EMSs in the process of insurance provision (Lemkowska, 2020b).…”

Elements of environmental management systems according to iso 14001 relevant from the point of view of an insurance company – the results of empirical research

“…The interview was unstructured and the measurement instrument was a scenario. The transcript of the interview was subject to processing procedures appropriate for qualitative data, with the use of template analysis, supported by narrative approaches (Lemkowska, 2020c).…”

“…The first stage (focus group) was completed between 19 and 28 March 2018 (Lemkowska, 2020c). The purpose here was to identify the systemic solutions implemented in organisations which were relevant from the point of view of the insurer providing cover with regard to environmental risk (RSS).…”