HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, Sept. 1, 2025 – Hang Seng Indexes Company has released its 2025 sustainability ratings, and Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (HKEX: 2318; SSE: 601318) is making headlines. The financial juggernaut has climbed from an “A-” to an “A” rating, a move that underscores Ping An’s robust commitment to and progress in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. It’s a clear signal to investors: Ping An is serious about sustainability.
Hang Seng has been scrutinizing the sustainability performance of listed companies annually since 2014. This year’s assessment was comprehensive, covering approximately 500 Hong Kong-listed constituents of the Hang Seng Composite Index and over 1,300 A-share constituents of the Hang Seng China A (Investable) Index. The rating process is far from superficial. It dives deep into environmental, social, and governance factors, utilizing both broad and sector-specific criteria, with weightings tailored to the nuances of each industry.
Breaking Down the Numbers:
- Ping An (601318): The company landed in the top 10% among China A-share (Investable) index constituents. Corporate governance and environmental performance were particularly impressive, also ranking in the top 10% of all assessed companies. This isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about embedding ESG into the operational DNA.
- Ping An (02318): The H-share constituent ranked in the top 30% overall, and in the top 20% within the financial sector. Environmental metrics stood out, placing in the top 10%, while corporate governance secured a spot in the top 20%. This demonstrates a balanced, multi-faceted approach to sustainable business practices.
Governance as the Engine of Growth:
For 37 years, Ping An has been honing its corporate governance. A clear board structure, coupled with standardized operating procedures, aims to fuel sustainable and stable growth. The company emphasizes creating value for all stakeholders – customers, shareholders, employees, and the community at large. The first half of 2025 saw the Group deliver solid results, underscoring resilience and innovation. Operating profit attributable to shareholders hit RMB 77.732 billion, a 3.7% year-on-year increase. Dividends continued their upward trajectory, with an interim dividend of RMB 0.95 per share, up 2.2% year-on-year. For over a decade, Ping An has consistently increased its dividend, demonstrating that sustainability and shareholder returns can be mutually reinforcing.
A Strategy Geared Towards an Aging Population:
China’s demographic shift is creating new demands for wealth management, health, and senior care. Ping An is doubling down on its “integrated finance + health and senior care” strategy. This model offers a “one customer, multiple accounts, multiple products, and one-stop services” approach. As of June 30, 2025, the Group boasted nearly 247 million retail customers who held an average of 2.94 contracts each; 26.6% of customers had four or more contracts with Ping An. The company is integrating medical and senior care resources to manage customer health and provide cost-effective services. Nearly 63% of customers are now entitled to service benefits within the health and senior care ecosystem demonstrating the success of this integration. In the first half of 2025, over 13 million Ping An Life customers utilized health management services, while 210,000 customers were entitled to home-based senior care services available in 85 cities nationwide.
Green Initiatives and Low-Carbon Transition:
Ping An is actively championing green and low-carbon development, using its insurance, credit, and investment arms to power green industries and industrial transformation. As of June 30, 2025, Ping An’s green investments from insurance funds totaled RMB 144.482 billion, with green loan balances at RMB 251.746 billion. Green insurance premium income reached RMB 35.836 billion in the first half of the year. Internally, the company is striving for carbon neutrality. In the first half of 2025, Ping An’s operational carbon emissions decreased by 13,000 tons year-on-year, with total greenhouse gas emissions around 195,000 tons of CO2 equivalent, an 11% year-on-year reduction.
Tech-Driven Risk Mitigation and Enhanced Efficiency:
Facing the increasing frequency of extreme weather, Ping An P&C launched its “EagleX” risk mitigation platform in 2017. This platform uses big data, meteorological disaster models, satellite remote sensing, and machine learning to assess risks and provide alerts. It integrates over 2 trillion data points covering geography, disasters, meteorology, and insurance. The platform assesses nine types of natural disasters and issues 15 types of alerts, effectively helping governments, businesses, and individuals reduce disaster-related losses. Since its launch, “EagleX” has been applied across various insurance lines. In the first half of 2025, the system issued warnings for 259,000 disasters and sent 4.26 billion alert messages, covering 64.02 million corporate and individual customers.
Social Responsibility and Community Support:
Ping An is leveraging its integrated finance + health and senior care capabilities to support rural revitalization in industry, health, and education. In the first half of 2025, Ping An provided RMB 32.809 billion in funding for rural industrial vitalization. The company’s commitment extends to public welfare and volunteer activities, with the “San Cun Hui” welfare platform boasting 3.51 million registered users, including over 490,000 Ping An employees and agent volunteers. In the first half of 2025, “San Cun Hui” initiated 1,033 public welfare activities.
Sustainable development is clearly at the heart of Ping An’s strategy. The Group is focused on customer needs, deepening its “integrated finance + health and senior care” strategy, enhancing corporate governance and risk management, and promoting green and low-carbon initiatives to drive sustainable development for both the Group and society. Ping An aims to create long-term value for its customers, employees, shareholders, and society.
About Ping An Group
Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (HKEx:2318 / 82318; SSE:601318) is a global financial services heavyweight. Its ambition is to lead the way in integrated finance, health, and senior care services. Through a technology-driven strategy, the Group connects its nearly 247 million retail customers with services like “financial advisory, family doctor, and senior care concierge.” Ping An is investing heavily in digital transformation and uses technology to improve business quality, efficiency, and risk management. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. As of the end of December 2024, Ping An had more than RMB 12 trillion in total assets. The Group ranked 27th in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2025 and 47th in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2025.
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