Environmental Stewardship
 

Chubb’s environmental stewardship principles apply to the products and services we provide, the ways we deliver those offerings and the facilities we manage.

Environmental concerns play an increasingly important role in public and private construction, and in many instances offer a key to unlock project financing. Environmental liability insurance, for example, facilitates the purchase and sale of land, and helps defray the costs that are incurred in the event remediation is needed.

Similarly, effective loss control measures can reduce the risk of environmental challenges and improve how property is developed and used.

As a global insurer, we’ve long understood the importance of environmental risk management and believe that seemingly small actions can provide tremendous benefits to the environment and society.

Offerings and Delivery

Environmental loss control services include analyzing and evaluating potential liabilities. Chubb’s environmental loss control specialists routinely survey property sites and provide recommendations and training to help companies manage their environmental exposures.

Several of our underwriting areas are directly involved in environmental stewardship:

• In 2010, Chubb formed a Clean Technology team to concentrate on companies producing products and services focused on the efficient and sustainable use of natural resources.
• Since the early 1980s, our Energy Resources Group has focused on alternative energy technologies including cogeneration facilities, wind turbines, solar, ethanol and other emerging segments.
• Similarly, Chubb Environmental Solutions combines underwriting and loss control specialists who assess and insure potential environmental damage, and who help clients mitigate and transfer risk so projects can obtain financing.

We also incorporate environmental considerations into the delivery of our products and services.

For instance, we consistently identify opportunities to eliminate or reduce the use of paper, and provide 98 percent of our U.S. personal lines agent and broker documentation electronically. Claims notices, bills and commission statements are just a few of the types of information we deliver digitally.

Our PaperFree policy initiatives from 2007-2011 in all areas of the business saved some 1,628 tons of paper, or an equivalent reduction of 3,256 tons of trees or over 26.3 million gallons of water saved.

In addition, we also work to help customers improve safety, and to avoid or mitigate losses and potential environmental damage.

Business clients are offered education and consulting services in a wide variety of areas including environmentally conscious storage facilities, site evaluations, security policies and procedures, and others.

Personal insurance customers can receive environmental loss control services, including infrared scans that identify needed energy efficiency improvements such as missing insulation or leaky window units. Additionally, as wildfires have become more prevalent, customers in 14 wildfire-prone western states are offered Wildfire Defense Services that include assessments and recommendations to reduce exposures and pre-suppression services for threatened homes.

Facilities Management

In addition to serving customers with environmentally conscious products and services, we’re also committed to reducing our environmental footprint.

Chubb received Energy Start certification for it's headquarters, on a 185-acre campus in Warren, New Jersey (2009, 2010 and 2012); Whitehouse Station Building A (2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010); Whitehouse Station Building B (2006, 2009 and 2010); Simsbury, Connecticut, campus (2010, 2011, and 2012). These buildings represent over 1 million square feet of office space. Energy Star certification is awarded to the top 25% of office buildings in terms of energy efficiency based on a comparison of like facilities throughout the United States.

Our paper recycling program dates back to 1985, and as part of our environmental commitment, we have reduced our energy consumption through energy reduction projects by over 2.7 million kilowatt hours, since the baseline year of 2006

We’re improving our fleet and travel management efforts to encourage the use of webcasting and virtual conferences when appropriate, and are replacing company-owned six-cylinder vehicles with fuel-efficient four-cylinder models.

We also promote home-based and alternative work schedules that reduce emissions from employee or fleet vehicles during peak rush-hour periods, and have partnered with a variety of ride-sharing and car-pool initiatives.

While we’re proud of our environmental accomplishments, we continue to strive for further improvements in reducing our footprint, increasing sustainability and providing loss control services that help our customers and society as a whole.

Chubb is a respondent to the Carbon Disclosure Project.  To view our response, click here.