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☆ Exclusive: Four banks quit initiative assessing climate targets
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Tommy Wilkes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Four major banks, including Standard Chartered Plc (STAN.L) and HSBC Plc (HSBA.L), have quit a United Nations-backed initiative to scrutinise climate targets set by corporations, according to people familiar with the matter. Many lenders say they should finance fossil fuels as long as economies depend on them. The spokesperson added that Standard Chartered was seeking alternative third-party validation of its climate targets and that it was setting science-based targets through the NZBA. It will still require them to cease the financing of fossil fuel projects that would weigh on their longer-term emissions targets. Credit Agricole (CAGR.PA), ING (INGA.AS), BBVA (BBVA.MC) and Swedbank (SWEDa.ST) told Reuters they remained committed to SBTi validating their emissions targets.

Persons: SBTi, SBTi's, Pietro Rocco, haven't, it's, Rocco, Tommy Reggiori Wilkes, Simon Jessop, Josie Kao Organizations: Standard Chartered, HSBC Plc, United, Societe Generale SA, ABN Amro Bank, Zero Banking Alliance, HSBC, Societe Generale, ABN Amro, Reuters, Credit, ING, BBVA, NatWest, Commerzbank, BNP, Allianz, Alliance, Zero, Carbon Trust, Thomson Locations: United Nations, Nations, Paris, U.S, decarbonising, London

☆ Insurers can underwrite dirty energy with impunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Insurers used to get heat for underwriting fossil fuels. Membership of bodies like the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) was supposed to mean financial groups would cease supporting oil, gas and coal, speeding the pace of decarbonisation. Similarly, five of the Lloyd’s insurance market’s managing agents – RiverStone, Chaucer, RenaissanceRe, Ascot and Aegis – have not implemented any restrictions on fossil fuels. Insurers have even fewer qualms about supporting oil and gas. Governments have made energy security a key priority since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and can reasonably argue that abrupt halts to backing fossil fuels will just mean higher energy prices.

Persons: Warren, Berkshire Hathaway, Starr don’t, – RiverStone, Chaucer, Insuramore, Pamela Barbaglia, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Zero Insurance, Axa, Everest, Aegis, Reuters Graphics, X, Bayer, SEC, Paramount, Thomson Locations: Zurich, PICC, RenaissanceRe, Ascot, Ukraine

☆ Insurers’ net-zero club looks easy to shun
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Global insurers are looking to re-write the rules to salvage their net-zero club. The once 30-strong U.N.-backed Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) unveiled ambitious decarbonisation targets in January, but now has only 12 companies left, including Italy’s Generali (GASI.MI) and Britain’s Aviva (AV.L). As a result, the club may effectively allow insurers to postpone that deadline. But the move may simply raise more questions around NZIA’s raison d’être: insurers may be better off simply publishing their own path to decarbonisation. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Italy’s, Pamela Barbaglia, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Global, Zero Insurance, Britain’s Aviva, Allianz, AXA, Tokio, Republican, Glasgow Financial Alliance, Twitter, KKR, Thomson Locations: May, Ukraine, China

☆ Exclusive: Insurers look to ease UN climate alliance rules after member exodus - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Tommy Wilkes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The U.N.-convened Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) is set to remove a six-month deadline for members to publish greenhouse gas emissions targets alongside other changes to make membership less prescriptive, the sources said. The hope is to "steady the ship" and create space for ex-members to consider returning later, they said. The changes under discussion have not been finalised, the sources said, and it's not clear how the alliance would deal with insurers that drag their feet in publishing targets. Remaining members believe the NZIA still has a valuable role, and point to methodologies it developed for assessing and reporting on underwriting-linked emissions. France's AXA, which chaired the NZIA before quitting in May, last week published its first emissions goals for its insurance portfolio.

Persons: Italy's, Peter Bosshard, Bosshard, Canada's Beneva, Tommy Reggiori Wilkes, Greg Roumeliotis, Simon Jessop, Emelia, David Evans Organizations: Zero Insurance Alliance, United, Zero Insurance, AXA, Tokio, Republican, Glasgow Financial Alliance, Aviva, Alliance, Insurance Australia Group, France's AXA, Thomson Locations: United Nations, London, United States, U.S

☆ Green alliance crisis is more than just a US drama
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Back in March the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) boasted 30 members, representing about 15% of global premium volume. Now the NZIA, a key financial forum for insurers to set decarbonisation targets and a part of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), has shrunk to just 13 companies. Even those who choose to stay in the NZIA risk losing business due to state politicians pursuing a “war on woke”. NZIA, part of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero set up by U.N. climate envoy Mark Carney, requires members to commit to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. In rapid succession Japanese insurers Sompo Holdings, MS&AD and Tokio Marine as well as Australia’s QBE Insurance quit the net-zero alliance in late May.

Persons: Beneva, Mark Carney, French reinsurer Scor, Lloyd’s, John Neal, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Global, United Nations, Zero Insurance, Glasgow Financial Alliance, Zero Banking Alliance, Alliance, European Union, Reuters Graphics Reuters, ”, Zurich Insurance, Munich Re, Hannover Re, Allianz, Axa, French, Sompo Holdings, Tokio Marine, QBE Insurance, Thomson Locations: United, United States, Germany, NZIA, Munich, Tokio, London

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