At the initiative of the French Insurance Association (AFA), an official COP21 partner, together with Insurance Europe, 26 European and international federations of insurers and reinsurers launched today an Appeal on Climate Change to all stakeholders in the negotiations.

Three days before the opening of the COP21, the associations are calling for the success of the negotiations starting Monday 30 in France. The world’s insurers and reinsurers hope that an agreement to limit global warming to 2C by the end of the century, applicable to all countries, will be reached.

Bernard Spitz, FFSA President and AFA President, and Pascal Demurger, GEMA President and AFA Vice-President, said: “Insurers and reinsurers are committed to the fight against climate change in three ways. They compensate for the consequences of natural hazards. They organize preventive measures. Finally, they finance the economy by investing in the long term. On the eve of COP21, it seems essential to us, alongside our European and international counterparts, to call for successful negotiations. “

Michaela Koller, director general of Insurance Europe, said: “Both the European and international insurance industries remain committed to continue playing a long-term role in addressing climate change and in supporting a positive outcome at COP21. This was emphasized in our recent campaign named ‘target two degrees’, which called on world leaders to agree to limit global warming to 2˚C.”

Butch Bacani, Programme Leader of the UNEP FI Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI), the largest collaborative initiative between the UN and the insurance industry, said: “As risk managers, risk carriers and investors, the insurance industry is uniquely positioned to accelerate the transition to a climate-resilient and low-carbon economy. Climate change poses a shared risk to insurers, governments, businesses and communities. This provides a strong incentive for collaboration. The PSI and insurance initiatives supporting the aims of COP21 are shining examples of insurers exercising leadership and working together with their stakeholders in building a risk-aware, resilient and sustainable society.”

List of associations: AFA (France), INSURANCE EUROPE, ABI (United Kingdom), ACA (Luxembourg), ANIA (Italy), APS (Portugal), ASSURALIA (Belgium), ARIA (Russia), FFFS (Finland), FINANCE NORWAY (Norway), FMSAR (Morocco), FTUSA (Tunisia), GDV (Germany) HAI (Greece), IAC (Cyprus), INSURANCE IRELAND (Ireland), MABISZ (Hungary), MIA (Malta), UNESPA (Spain), UNSAR (Romania), INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE AND MUTUAL INSURANCE FEDERATION, FEDERATION DES SOCIETES D’ASSURANCES DE DROIT NATIONAL AFRICAINES, FEDERACION INTERAMERICANA DE EMPRESAS DE SEGUROS, TSB (Turkey), VVN (Netherlands), VVO (Austria)

AFA Press Contacts

FFSA Benoît Danton Tel. +33 1 42 47 93 80 / +33 6 48 24 77 81 b.danton@ffsa.fr www.ffsa.fr

GEMA Nathalie Irisson Tel. +33 1 53 04 16 21 / +33 6 20 59 91 45 nathalie.irisson@gema.fr www.gema.fr