To Liberty Mutual, Chubb, AIG, and any insurers connected to Liquefied Natural Gas:
We urge you to meet with communities impacted by the volatile and risky Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry as soon as possible, and to rule out underwriting, investing, and reinsurance for midstream, export, and downstream LNG infrastructure, as well as other fossil fuel expansion.
Time is running out for transformative action to tackle the climate crisis. As the IPCC report puts it: “There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.”
Methane gas has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere. We are urging you to take urgent action by ruling out methane intensive projects like Freeport LNG.
Grassroots communities like Better Brazoria: Clean Air Clean Water want you to step up and take meaningful action in response to the explosion that happened in their community, and rule out LNG expansion in the Gulf South of North America. From the Permian Basin where gas is extracted, to the Gulf, environmental justice communities have been speaking out about the risks of explosions, the risks to workers, the increase in cancers and pollution for years. Yet, these facilities keep being constructed and expanded.
The insurance industry, and your company as a leading global property and casualty insurer in particular, are well placed to accelerate and scale up a just transition away from fossil fuels in line with the conclusions of the world’s leading climate scientists:
1. Immediately cease insuring new and expanded coal, oil, and gas projects.
2. Immediately stop offering any insurance services which support the expansion of coal, oil and gas production and within two years phase out all insurance services for fossil fuel companies which are not aligned with a credible 1.5ºC pathway.
3. Adopt robust due diligence and verification mechanisms to ensure clients fully respect and observe all human rights, including a requirement that they obtain and document the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) of impacted Indigenous Peoples.
We are now in the decisive decade for the climate, and we need to see meaningful policies now. There is no time for greenwash or delay.