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• Inform public policy making

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  • Corporate Social Responsibility
    • ClimateWise
      • Lead in risk analysis
      • Inform public policy making
      • Support climate awareness amongst our customers
      • Incorporate climate change into our investment strategies
      • Reduce the environmental impact of our business
      • Report and be accountable
    • The QBE Foundation

Inform public policy making

2.1 Work with policy makers nationally and internationally

QBE continue to participate in the Association of British Insurers (ABI) Property Committee, to:

• Ascertain research and risk data from the Environment Agency regarding impact of climate change on flood risks;
• Understand reservoir / dam burst risk and impact from property risks; and,
• Lobby Government for increased spend on flood defences and planning policy and guidance in flood prone areas.

QBE is a signatory to a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) statement of environmental commitment.

• QBE is committed to sustainable development, environmental management and public communication

2.2 Promote and actively engage in public debate

QBE collate and report information relating to our ‘carbon footprint’. This exercise is undertaken in accordance with The Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

QBE seek to promote and engage in public debate through participation in initiatives such as the Carbon Disclosure Project and ClimateWise.

2.3 Support work on emissions (carbon) reduction targets

At present, the insurance and financial services industries are not subject to specific emission limits.  QBE’s products and services are insurance contracts which do not produce direct greenhouse gas emissions through use of disposal of physical assets.  Emissions relating to external distribution or logistics are relatively small, but we seek to actively manage these to reduce adverse environmental impacts.

QBE monitors and reports its key environmental impacts, and where practical, Group companies develop and adopt practices that are energy efficient and designed to reduce adverse environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions.

Measurement of the Group’s environmental impact has, to date, focussed on three key greenhouse gas emission metrics: business air travel, car fleet and electricity usage. The Group’s estimated greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) for 2008 were 47,420 tonnes. The 2008 increase was predominantly due to the US acquisitions made during that year.

The CO2e was calculated using the tools available from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol initiative – see Section 5 below.

QBE does not currently participate in emissions trading schemes.

2.4 Support Government action towards resilience

See response to 2.1 – QBE participates in the ABI Property Committee to lobby Government for increased spend on flood defences and planning policy and guidance in flood prone areas

2.5 Work with emergency services

See response to 3.2 – QBE has developed ‘Realistic Disaster Scenarios’ for situations such as extreme weather predictions, this allows us to maintain a commercial presence in countries and regions, including developing countries that may be at heightened risk from the impacts of climate change.