Formulating a comprehensive stand on thermal coal and oil sands

I serve as chief communications officer at Axis, a leading specialty insurer and global reinsurer. At Axis we believe that climate-risk mitigation—the risks associated with climate change—is central to both the future of our business and to the quality of life on our planet.

As a carrier that operates in the property and casualty space, we directly face the challenge of the significant increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather. We are attuned to the tremendous toll that extreme weather places on businesses, communities and the people and families who are its victims. We believe that insurers have a unique role to play in addressing the climate change crisis, and that there is a strong and clear business case to be made for addressing this issue. 

Last year, with the support of our board and our CEO, our general counsel launched a formalized steering committee to scale up our company’s corporate citizenship program, with environment as a core program pillar. As a member of the steering committee, I helped launch a cross-functional initiative to evaluate and mitigate our environmental impact, specifically as it relates to our work in the energy sectors.