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Lloyd’s of London Insurer Probitas Exits Controversial Adani Coal Mine

This week, facing mounting pressure from campaigners, Lloyd’s of London syndicate, Probitas1492, ruled out providing insurance for Adani’s Carmichael coal mine and its related infrastructure. Probitas was known to insure the mine’s transport system, but also admitted that the mine itself had been insured through the Lloyd’s of London marketplace.

Ash Bathia, Chief Executive Officer of Probitas Managing Agency wrote to Money Rebellion, stating: “I can confirm that Probitas1492 ceased to provide insurance for the Adani Coal Mine at the end of last year, and will also not provide any insurance support in the future for any ancillary or associated activities, including the trainline, once the existing policies expire in the next quarter.”

Various environmental groups have targeted Probitas since February, when an industry tip-off revealed that they were underwriting Adani’s train line and haulage operation. Last week, Money Rebellion activists staged a ‘die-in’ protest at Probitas’s London office. This followed disruption to Lloyd’s AGM in May, and a delivery of giant Valentine’s Day cards asking Probitas to exit the mine, including from the head man of Waddananggu tribe.

Claude Fourcory, Money Rebellion, said: “This is a massive win for the movement. Deadly fossil fuel projects like Adani’s Carmichael mine can’t be allowed to continue. Insurers at Lloyd’s of London are only going to see bigger and bigger protests, as more people understand their involvement in enabling climate breakdown.”

Gurridyula Gaba Wunggu, Wangan and Jagalingou Cultural Custodian, said: “Probitas1492 has made the right decision – this shows the strength and determination of everyone who played their part in forcing their hand. This is also a message to all other Adani financiers and insurers – we are coming for you too and we will not stop until you pull out from Adani. This has been the homeland of our people for millennia. Any insurer or financier still backing Adani is complicit in the destruction of Wangan and Jagalingou homelands and the ethnic cleansing of our culture and people. Don’t underestimate our determination. We plan to be here until Adani is forced to abandon this project, so we can watch them pack up and leave our homelands for good.”

Set to be the largest coal mine in Australia, Carmichael has been called a ‘carbon bomb.’ [1] The Queensland project would produce enough coal over its lifetime to emit 4.6 billion tonnes of CO2, equivalent to over ten years of the UK’s annual emissions. The Australian coal is burned in Adani’s Godda power station in Jharkhand, India, which is already mired in human rights abuses including forced displacement, and two workers have been killed on site.

Probitas1492 now joins 45 of the world’s biggest insurers who have distanced themselves from the mine, including five that had previously provided Adani with coverage: Brit, Apollo, Ascot, Aspen, Tokio Marine and Kiln. 28 of these insurers manage syndicates at the Lloyd’s marketplace.

Marsh McLennan, the world’s largest broker, stopped arranging insurance for Adani last year due to pressure over the project’s environmental abuses.

The Adani Carmichael mine has received widespread condemnation from climate scientists and activists, both locally and internationally, for its impact on water usage and carbon emissions. The mine’s Abbot Point coal port is located in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, and campaigners estimate the mine would bring 500 coal ships through it every year.

Meanwhile, experts fear that Adani’s vast drainage of nearby groundwater may have already “locked in” irreversible damage to local, ancient wetlands known as the Doongmabulla Springs.

The springs are sacred to the land’s traditional owners, the Wangan and Jagalingou people, who have never given their free, prior and informed consent to the mine. Indigenous leaders have resisted the project since its inception.

Pablo Brait, Campaigner at Market Forces in Australia said: “The Carmichael coal mine is one of the most controversial projects in Australia’s history. It will drain the region of billions of liters of water per year, putting agriculture at risk. It is increasing industrialisation in the already distressed Great Barrier Reef, and it will fuel worsening floods, heatwaves and bushfires. The Carmichael operations are paving the way for more climate-wrecking coal mines in the region, and its dirty coal is being used by Adani to expand its fossil fuel burning activities in India.”

More trouble for Adani

Adani began exporting small amounts of coal from Carmichael in 2022 – 8 years behind schedule – and has been rocked by difficulties throughout.

Earlier this year, Lockton, another top-10 global broker, entered talks with Adani, before deciding in July not to proceed after pressure from campaign groups and staff.

In total, 113 major companies in the banking, insurance, rail freight and engineering sectors have now ruled out support for Adani Carmichael, or the Adani Group entirely. This includes banking giants BNY Mellon and China’s ICBC.

Controversy for Lloyd’s

Probitas1492’s involvement with Adani is understood by campaigners to have caused controversy within the Lloyd’s of London marketplace. Lloyd’s policy, as of 1 January 2022, asks syndicates not to take on new thermal coal risks. Lloyd’s has been criticised, however, for failing to implement this.

Andrew Taylor, Coal Action Network said: “The fact that the Adani coal mine infrastructure was still being insured through Lloyd’s points to an abject failure of its ESG policy. It shouldn’t take thousands of people from across the world to pressure Lloyd’s managing agents to cut ties with new fossil fuel projects. These companies need to act themselves and adopt policies and behaviour that reflect the existential threat climate change poses.”

Due to the pooled nature of coverage written at Lloyd’s, other syndicates may still be involved in Adani Carmichael. Lloyd’s managing agents yet to comment publicly on their involvement include: Barbican, Hamilton, Markel, Renaissance Re, SA Meacock and Starr.

Probitas1492’s withdrawal follows comments from Dominic Hoare, Chief Underwriting Officer at Lloyd’s Munich Re Syndicate and a senior industry figure, on the reputational risk of insuring fossil fuels: “Reputation is now key and reputation affects your share price…From our point of view, pressure to cease underwriting is very effective. Insurance is an incredible tool for enacting change.”

Lloyd’s of London is the world’s oldest and largest global insurance market. Developed in the 1600s, it drew its initial wealth from insuring the slave trade. It remains the world’s largest insurer of fossil fuels.

EACOP: Lloyd’s Cincinnati rule out pipeline while Talbot stays silent in response to protests

Following a week of protests, Cincinnati Global’s syndicate at Lloyd’s confirmed that it will not insure the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline, which has been the subject of international protests.

(Nick Chalk), Active Underwriter with Cincinnati at Lloyd’s confirmed verbally with a member of the Insure our Future campaign, “We 100% do not write this project and we have no intention of ever writing it.”

“Thousands of Ekō and Coal Action Network members sent over 4 millions of emails, thousands of tweets and hundreds of phone calls to 3,140 Lloyd’s managing agents staff, demonstrating to the insurers the unfailing mobilization of people worldwide against the coverage of the shameful EACOP and any new destructive fossil projects, said Leyla Larbi, of international NGO Ekō.”

Talbot (AIG) at Lloyd’s, which has been equally targeted, also by street demonstrations, did not make a statement. Parent company AIG was also targeted the same week by protests at its New York headquarters on EACOP.

Isobel Tarr of Coal Action Network said “The pressure will continue to grow on Talbot and AIG to get them to commit to ruling out EACOP. When their counterparts in the Lloyd’s marketplace have started to rule out this monstrous pipeline, Talbot’s silence starts to sound like complicity with the project and all its associated climate impacts and human rights abuses.”

Following these protests,  more accounts of associated human rights abuses have surfaced, as a French civil court heard the case against Total’s conduct brought by African Civil Society organisations. Witnesses detailed the French oil giant’s forceful acquisition of land and property leaving families without food. The case was ruled inadmissible on a technicality.

Meanwhile, community leaders in Uganda have reported an escalation in ‘phsychological torture’, by the Ugandan state, including harrasment and detentions, as the French oil company Total Energies and the Chinese state company CNOOC are moving ahead with the oilfields and pipeline projects.

Baraka Lenga, of the Tanzanian chapter of the international multi-faith network GreenFaith, said: “We applaud Cincinnati Global’s syndicate at Lloyd’s for taking a stand and refusing to insure the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline. Their decision sends a strong message that the environmental and human rights impacts of this project cannot be ignored. However, Talbot’s silence in response to the protests is concerning.  We urge them and AIG to listen to the concerns of local communities and to prioritize the protection of people and the planet above profit.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About EACOP

The EACOP would be the world’s biggest heated oil pipeline, stretching nearly 900 miles (1,443 kilometers) through the heart of East Africa from Uganda to Tanzania. The project, developed by the French oil company Total Energies and the Chinese state company CNOOC, has already caused large-scale displacement of local communities and poses grave risks to protected environments, water sources and wetlands in both Uganda and Tanzania. Those include the Lake Victoria basin, which 40 millions of people rely upon for drinking water and food production. If completed, it would also enable the extraction and transport of enough oil to generate over 34 million tons of CO2 emissions per year at peak production, exacerbating the ongoing climate emergency.

#StopEACOP

Since its inception, the project has faced opposition from affected communities along the pipeline route and their advocates, as well as the global #StopEACOP campaign that they built. For more on this, visit www.stopeacop.net.

To date, 24 banks and 23 insurance companies have ruled out providing support to the EACOP project due to the unacceptable environment and human rights impacts. The EACOP project backers are currently looking for funding and for re/insurance and are approaching the London financial and insurance markets for support. And social movements are responding with creative and direct action

Talbot Underwriting Ltd

Talbot is part of the AIG group of companies and manages the syndicate 1183 at Lloyd’s of London. AIG sets ESG policy for Talbot and has policies against some oil extraction including tar sands, but is also yet to comment on EACOP.

Cincinnati Global Underwriting Ltd

Cincinnati, which manages syndicate 318 at Lloyd’s, has previously issued public statements ruling out Adani Carmichael coal mine and the Trans Mountain Pipeline (Tar Sands)

ACTION: Tell Staff at Lloyd's of London Insurers to Rule Out EACOP

The East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline is a heated oil pipeline currently under construction. Once completed, it will stretch for almost 1,445 kilometres across Tanzania and Uganda – making it the longest heated crude oil pipeline in the world.

The pipeline will disturb sensitive ecosystems, and a vital water supply supporting 40 million people. Its ongoing construction has already displaced thousands of people in villages in Uganda, with 100,000 people expected to be displaced.

Insurers are openly ruling out EACOP in quick succession, including 4 of the world’s biggest re(insurance) companies: Munich Re, Swiss Re, Hannover Re, and SCOR.

We can see these tactics are working - we just got Arch and AEGIS to rule out insuring this deadly project. But we need all insurance companies to rule out EACOP, and stop the toxic pipeline at its source. Next, we want Brit, and Chaucer insurance to rule it out, and we know that constant pressure works.

SIGN UP to take action, and you will receive details of new people at Arch to email every couple of days. Let's convince them to stop insuring climate breakdown.

 

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PRESS RELEASE: Arch Insurance & AEGIS London respond to pressure & rule out EACOP

PRESS RELEASE: Arch Insurance & AEGIS London respond to pressure & rule out EACOP

Contact: Andrew Taylor, Coal Action Network, andrew@coalaction.org.uk

Arch Capital Group Ltd and AEGIS London join the 19 (re)insurance companies ruling out the controversial East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project.

Arch Capital Group Ltd responded to ongoing pressure on their insurance business by ruling out insurance for the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). A statement issued by the company follows sustained pressure on Lloyd’s of London managing agents to rule out underwriting EACOP, and days after Money Rebellion spilt fake oil outside Arch’s London offices.

Patrick Palmer, Head Of Marketing and Communications at Arch Insurance International, confirmed, in an email to Money Rebellion and Coal Action Network : “Arch Capital Group Ltd. can confirm, on behalf of its underwriting operations, that it has not and will not issue any insurance policies covering the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.”

Arch Capital Group Ltd had been targeted by people across the world, from a range of groups, for over two months exposing the numerous climate, environmental, social risks and human rights violations associated with the project. Thousands of emails had been sent to staff asking them to raise the issue with senior management, hundreds of supporters of the #StopEACOP coalition and Coal Action Network, called Arch to recommend they rule out EACOP, and regular protests have been held at Arch’s offices.

In the same week, AEGIS London also ruled out the controversial project as the project doesn’t meet their ESG policy. The total number of insurers ruling out EACOP now stands at 21. Both companies are members of the Lloyds of London insurance marketplace where it has been suggested that the companies behind EACOP (TotalEnergies and CNOOC) are seeking insurance.

The East Africa Crude Oil pipeline, or EACOP is a 1,443 kilometre pipeline planned for Uganda and Tanzania. It threatens to displace thousands of families and farmers from their land, severely degrade critical water resources and wetlands in both Uganda and Tanzania, and rip through numerous sensitive biodiversity hotspots. The oil transported via the pipeline would generate 34 million tons of carbon emissions each year. Local resistance against the project has been ongoing since 2017 as an international Stop EACOP campaign has led advocacy since 2020.

Omar Elmawi, Coordinator of #StopEACOP Coalition stated, "the number of banks (24) and (re) insurers staying away from EACOP is a clear indication that this pipeline and the associated oil fields will cause huge impacts to people, nature and climate if allowed to proceed. Supporting this project is supporting human rights violations and a carbon bomb that will be impossible to difuse once it goes ahead."

EACOP has been condemned by the European parliament for its associated human rights abuses in Uganda and Tanzania with arrests and indefinite detention of peaceful protestors taking place in October, forcing other insurers to distance themselves. The pipeline and associated Tilenga oil field are expected to displace almost 118,000 people in Uganda and Tanzania. And nearly a third of the pipeline would be built in the Lake Victoria Basin, on which more than 40 million people depend for their water and food production and where an oil spill would be disastrous.

The fake oil spill outside Arch’s offices was organised by Money Rebellion as part of a series of actions targeting ‘fossil fuel enablers’ across London, where different Extinction Rebellion groups targeted different organisations asking them to cut their ties with fossil fuels.

Rafela FitzHugh from Money Rebellion said: “We’re happy with Arch and AEGIS’ announcements, but people shouldn’t still have to push for change. With deadly weather destroying lives across the world, the insurance sector should be turning its back on all new fossil fuel projects now. Citizens resisting the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline in Uganda and Tanzania, are facing arrest and human rights abuses. We continue to stand with them and have written to Canopius Group, and Chaucer, to tell them to expect us on their door step soon if they don’t rule out insuring EACOP.”

A number of insurance companies contacted by the Stop EACOP campaign have offered no comment on their involvement. These include AIG, Tokio Marine Kiln, Brit, Canopius Group, Chubb, Liberty Mutual and Chaucer.

Isobel Tarr of Coal Action Network said “It’s clear that insurance companies want to avoid being implicated in this disastrous project, and that hundreds of people taking small actions can compel insurance companies to take a stand. If companies want to avoid coming under this kind of pressure then they need to adopt robust exclusion policies on all fossil fuels, and this includes Lloyd’s of London.”

With 24 major banks also ruling out support, the project developers have postponed the project’s financial close and are aiming for a new deadline of early 2023. This is not the first time the financing of the project has been delayed. The EACOP has now been delayed 3 years and counting.

Stop EACOP campaign advocates that instead of locking Uganda into a fossil fuel trap, financial actors should redirect their investments towards renewable energies. Instead of an economy that relies on multinationals extracting as much profit as possible, Uganda and Tanzania need an economy that is shaped and driven by local people and celebrates the people, biodiversity, heritage and natural landscapes of the region. An economy that provides quality jobs and long-term, sustainable financial security for young people, men and women. An economy that does not require the destruction of the environment, endangering wildlife, or driving families off the farmland on which they depend.

ENDS

Photos from XR Cut the Ties oil spill protest at Arch

https://show.pics.io/xr-global-media-breaking-news/search?tagId=637b658faab7680013dab7de

 

Notes to Editors

Who’s insuring the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline checklist

https://www.stopeacop.net/insurers-checklist

 

Who’s banking the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline checklist

https://www.stopeacop.net/banks-checklist

 

EACOP human rights / climate damages report (French)

https://www.amisdelaterre.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/eacop-la-voie-du-desastre-amis-de-la-terre-survie-oct-2022.pdf

 

EACOP in likely breach of IFC Performance Standards on Displacement & Risk to Livelihoods

https://www.banktrack.org/download/crude_risk/cruderisk_eacop_briefing_nov2020_1.pdf

 

BREAKING: Extinction Rebellion takes action at the offices of fossil fuel enablers across London

https://extinctionrebellion.uk/2022/11/21/breaking-extinction-rebellion-takes-action-at-the-offices-of-fossil-fuel-enablers-across-london/

ACTION: British Science Museum's dirty coal money

The Adani Group wants to expand its coal operations by 800%. In Australia, they’re opening up one of the biggest untouched coal reserves on the planet, while expanding coal production in India and beyond. From Indonesia to Australia to India, Adani is under fire for land grabs and disregarding Indigenous rights. Sadly, this is the British Science Museum's new sponsor of the ‘Energy Revolution’ Gallery!

Leaders from indigenous communities in Australia, India and Indonesia, wrote to the museum to warn them that it's agreement with Adani is legitimising its “destructive coal expansion activities” and that “Indigenous communities in all these countries are experiencing land-grabs, repression, the destruction of sacred lands, pollution of air, land and water...”

In support of their letter, people gathered on the doorstep of the museum, with an advertising van playing a video message from the land defenders resisting Adani. Together with other groups, we are demanding the British Science Museum #DropAdani as a sponsor.

🗣 Add your voice by writing to the Science Museum now. Help us to convince them to drop Adani as a sponsor.

We heard leaders from the Hasdeo Forest under threat from Adani’s coal mining for a decade, Adivasi people who marched 300km to save their lands from an Adani coal mine in Chhattisgarh, Borneo on the doorstep of the massive Adani coal mine on Bunyu island, and Wangan and Jagalingou still fighting Adani’s destruction of their sacred territory.

👀 Want to hear their stories? Watch their film.

The man behind this all is Gautam Adani, the billionaire chairman and founder of the Adani Group. With a net worth estimated at US $74 billion, he is considered the second-richest man in India. One of our partners for the action, South Asia Solidarity Group have written about his rise to power and links with Narendra Modi:

"Narendra Modi became Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001 using divisive Hindu nationalist rhetoric and a promise of modernity and development through neoliberal economic planning, working side by side with Gautam Adani and other powerful corporates. This period is marked, inevitably, by the State weakening labour power, fuelling xenophobia, fascism and violence, and exponentially rising inequality."

It’s abundantly clear, there’s no room for expansion of the fossil fuel industry. Over the last year with your support we have managed to convince insurers to no longer underwrite Adani's Australian mega mine. However, Adani is still looking to expand his corporate empire and is in desperate need of private finance. Sponsorship, one of the ways to clean the Adani brand and attract new finance and insurance.

ACTION: #StopAdani on Social Media Pile On

Adani's mines are supported by the UK's finance industry - providing insurance and funding for it's devastating coal mines in Australia, India and beyond. For the past year, Coal Action Network has supported calls for Lloyd's of London to stop insuring Adani. While many companies have pulled out, Lloyd's continue to refuse to rule out underwriting the Adani mine.

🗣 Can you to join us on Twitter and Facebook, to take on the institutions enabling climate breakdown?

Across India, Adani is facing intense opposition for its 800% coal expansion, land grabs, and pollution, including from the Indian tribal Adivasi people who are resisting coal projects which threaten ancestral lands in the Hasdeo forests.

Now, Adani is looking to greenwash its name through sponsorship of a new ‘Energy Revolution’ Gallery at the British Science Museum. This is a blatant attempt to trick the British public and gain further support from bankers and insurance executive. Adani is looking to expand its corporate empire and is in desperate need of private finance to do so. We can all be part of cutting that off.

We're looking for people to join us on Twitter and Facebook to combat the lies and demand UK institutions help #StopAdani instead of enabling climate breakdown. Across the world, people are standing up to Adani and their backers. By signing up, you'll get text messages from us with more information on how you can get involved with on social media.

🗣 Sign up now to receive regular text messages on how to get involved on social media

Lloyd’s failure to implement ESG policy is driven by its CEO John Neal

Meeting reveals Neal’s failure to understand the need to stop insuring fossil fuel expansion

On February 16, Insure Our Future network members challenged John Neal, CEO of Lloyd’s of London, on the insurer’s fossil fuel policies and actions in a long awaited, but ultimately very disappointing, on-the-record meeting at Lloyd’s Lime Street headquarters.

The meeting between Neal, Lindsay Keenan, European Coordinator of Insure Our Future, and Mia Watanabe, UK Campaigner at Market Forces, revealed major problems with how Lloyd’s, and in particular its CEO, is addressing the climate crisis. The meeting started with Neal accepting a letter with 137,400 signatures on behalf of SumOfUs, an Insure Our Future network member. The letter demanded Lloyd’s stop supporting new and expansionary coal, oil and gas projects, including the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, Trans Mountain pipeline, Adani Carmichael coal mine, and oil drilling by the Bahamas Petroleum Company.

In stark contrast to statements made by Lloyd’s Council Chairman, Bruce Carnegie Brown, and what is clearly written in Lloyd’s December 2020 ESG report, Neal stated that in his view Lloyd’s ESG policy was nothing more than a “‘provocative discussion document”.

Revealingly, Neal claimed that, following the publication of the report, he had been contacted and lobbied by regulators, corporations, and state and national officials from around the world who said they were against the ESG policy and concerned about its ambitions. He confirmed that Lloyd’s had subsequently informed its members the ESG commitments were non-mandatory guidelines.

Despite lending a sympathetic ear to industry stakeholders, Neal was unequivocal in stating that he did not see it as his role to meet with representatives of communities impacted by the fossil fuel projects that Lloyd’s insures or invests in.

While professing to respect climate science and the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2021 report, Neal appeared to not understand nor accept the report’s key finding that there are no new coal mines or oil and gas fields approved for development in a Net Zero by 2050 pathway. Under Neal, Lloyd’s has no plan to align its policies with the IEA findings.

“It is a serious problem that John Neal has not been well enough briefed, or is just personally sceptical, about climate science and the findings of the International Energy Agency. An ESG policy touted by Carnegie-Brown as a ‘plan for becoming a truly sustainable insurance market’ has, under John Neal, become nothing more than a ‘discussion document’ that syndicates can take or leave as they see fit. It is abundantly clear that John Neal prioritises profits at the cost of people and planet, and that under his leadership Lloyd’s policies fail to match its climate rhetoric,” said Lindsay Keenan, European Coordinator of Insure Our Future.

Neal further exposed his disregard for climate action by failing to make a clear commitment that Lloyd’s members would not insure the East African Crude Oil Pipeline and saying Lloyd’s has no current plans to adopt an exclusion policy for oil and gas expansion.

On the Adani Carmichael coal project in Australia, a source of significant controversy for Lloyd’s over the last two years, Neal said that “to the best of my knowledge” the project is no longer insured in the Lloyd’s market. While Neal encouraged syndicates not to underwrite Adani, he refused to give a clear commitment on its status inside Lloyd’s, both now and in the future.

“The #StopAdani campaign has done the work John Neal should have done, and convinced the vast majority of its insurers to commit to never insuring the disastrous Adani Carmichael thermal coal project. Now, Neal needs to come clean and officially clarify if the Lloyd’s market remains exposed to Adani, and make the promise to not insure the climate-wrecking project in the future. If Lloyd’s cannot take this basic step, then its ESG policies have failed their most simple test and Adani Carmichael will continue to be a stain on its reputation,” said Mia Watanabe, UK Campaigner at Market Forces

Lloyd’s stated commitment to transparency is contradicted by its actions. Neal said Lloyd’s expects its members to have robust net-zero ESG plans, but will not ask them to publish those policies. He confirmed that data on insured emissions will be collected at syndicate level, but published only as obscure market wide data. Neal tried to justify the lack of transparency by saying he didn’t want to put additional pressure on Lloyd’s members.

Neal stated many times in the meeting that UK competition law prevents him from mandating marketwide action. Previously, Lloyd’s excuse was that it didn’t have the power to require the implementation of its ESG policy, which was proved false by its own bylaws. Neal now points to competition law as the barrier preventing Lloyd’s from mandating its members stop insuring and investing in specific fossil fuel sectors.

Keenan added, “Neal has no intention of taking marketwide action and is using competition law as his latest excuse. However, it does raise a significant question that must be asked of the UK Competition and Markets Authority regarding whether there is any legal barrier to coordinated industry action to meet climate targets.”

The meeting concluded with Keenan’s challenge for Neal to invite Insure our Future members, climate scientists and impacted communities to meet with Lloyd’s Council and ESG committee, and for Neal to join him in a public debate to clarify and discuss Lloyd’s policies. Neal said he would consider each of these, and appeared to mean it.

Google Review Swarm - Stop Adani

Purpose of the action:

This action has two purposes. Firstly, it's about reaching people we wouldn't normally, informing them about the role insurers are playing in the climate-destroying Adani coal mine. Secondly, it's about delivering a blow to the public image of these companies by bringing their star ratings crashing down.

How to add a Google review:

In order to review somewhere on Google, you will need a Google account. It’s free and easy; Google has a support page on how to do so here, but get in touch if you’d like some extra help. 

  • Make sure you’re signed into your Google account before you leave your review.
  • Following one of the links on our location list at the bottom of this page will take you directly to one of the offices we’re targeting. There will be a panel on the left hand side that tells you information about the building, such as its opening hours, contact info, and photos. If you scroll down this, you will find the review summary.

  • From here, you simply click ‘Write a review’ and get going!
  • You can add a star rating to the location, as well as a text review. If you want, you can also add an image to your review to help it stand out. 
  • Tell each of these companies how you feel about them continuing to insure the climate-destroying Adani coal project. Members of the public can see this, so this is a great opportunity to spread the word, educate, and inform other people.  
  • Keep it personal - what are your thoughts and opinions, why do you think these companies should rule out underwriting the Adani coal mine. 
  • Remember, you can only review each location on Google once!
How to add a Google review:

Once you’ve finished your Google reviews, amplify them by sharing them - with friends, family, us, or on social media. 

  • You can share your own review, and like and share other people’s reviews using these buttons at the bottom of reviews. The more people who like and share these reviews, the more people will see them.

Targets:

Our main target for this action is the Lloyd's of London in London. It currently has a a 4.6 star rating, and 553 review - bringing this rating down isn't going to be easy. If you're going to only review one place - make it this one. If we all work together, we'll be able to see that rating start to get lower and lower.

As you can only add one review per location on Google, we've made a short list of other targets. Done with these and want to keep going? Find your own targets by going on different websites insurers who haven't ruled out underwriting Adani. Here, they'll list their offices in other cities.

Company
Branch
Google location
Current rating
Lloyd’s of London London https://goo.gl/maps/bNCQ7dPjwRu8nABA9 4.6 stars (553 reviews)
Lloyd’s of London Australia https://goo.gl/maps/s8C65NoLCi93VZ9QA 2.0 stars (4 reviews)
Hamilton London  https://goo.gl/maps/4woxhaZ3sMk9PoJ19 3.4 stars (5 reviews)
Hamilton Bermuda https://goo.gl/maps/1b7Q41tevPxrFYLv5 1.0 starts (1 review) 
Hamilton  Dublin https://goo.gl/maps/ieAatgtCLYvSDdVv5 No reviews 
Convex  London https://g.page/Convexin?share 5.0 stars (2 reviews)
Convex Bermuda  https://goo.gl/maps/eG2WcQ5d3yWUSya27 No reviews

Hamilton Power Hours - Phone calling guide

*****

UPDATE: Hamilton clearly felt the pressure from you - so much so that they sent us our first ever take-down notice, threatening legal action. Thanks for letting us know it worked Hamilton. 

If Hamilton wants to avoid more actions like this, they need to create a proper policy around their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG).

*****

Purpose of the action:

This action is about having conversations with Hamilton staff. We are aiming to informing them, and respectfully call on them to take action. Every call reminds them that we care deeply about their actions, and that we won't stop till they opt out.

You can download the contact details of those we will be contacting here: [this is the link Hamilton was worried about].

Steps and tips:
  • First, check the timezone of the office you are calling.
  • Expect to get some voicemail messages, and use this as an opportunity to practice.
  • Don’t ask them to verify who they are. Instead, call them by their first name and say hello, e.g.‘Hello Pina’.
  • Let them know where you are calling from.
  • Give your short explanation for the call and end with an open-ended question that requires them to answer it.
  • Listen carefully and note down everything they say.
Talking points and conversation starters:

We've added these as suggestions of what you can bring up if you're feeling stuck, but they're by no means definitive or a strict checklist. Above all, it's important that you personalise the call. Add in your own knowledge and experience, your own reasons for opposing the Adani mine, and other climate-destroying projects.

  • Ask them when Hamilton’s ESG Policy will be completed, and whether it rule out insuring all fossil fuel projects.
  • Remind them that other companies have ruled out Adani without an ESG.
  • Show that Hamilton is out of step with its own industry. It's is now listed in the insurance press as one of a few avoiding making a commitment. 36 insurers, including many from the Lloyds marketplace, have ruled out Adani.
  • Raise the environmental issues. The mine will be the second biggest in the world, use a huge amount of water, and contribute to the destruction of habitats. This includes those inhabited by endangered animals.
  • Raise the governance issues. Adani Ports has maintained business ties with a sanctioned Myanmar military-owned company in breach of the UN Global Compact Principles.
  • Raise the social issues. Indigenous custodians (Wangan and Jagalingou Family Council) have been removed and are unable continue access to cultural practice. Further to this, cultural and spiritual sites have been destroyed, and cultural leader Adrian Burragubba has been bankrupt.

#StopAdani Power Hour

Recently, there has been so much progress, and many victories in the fight to stop the insurance of climate-destroying projects. Only last month, Lloyd’s of London insurer Ascot ruled out renewing their policy for the Adani coal mine once it expires in September after months of pressure. This shows us that the pressure is working. With Adani looking to renew its insurance soon, we need to make sure the last few insurers rule out insuring this mega mine.

At Coal Action Network, we’re determined to keep this momentum up. We’ve organised three Power Hours scheduled in the upcoming weeks, aiming to connect people within the movement, create a space for learning new skills, and take action that we know works. We’ll be targeting Hamilton, one of the last syndicates at Lloyd’s of London still willing to insure the coal mine.

If we’re going to win big and avoid climate breakdown, we need to learn from each other's experiences and knowledge. We’re excited to be joined at these Power Hours by Australian activists from the #StopAdani movement, who have a track record of successfully convincing insurance companies to rule out the Adani Carmichael project. Together, we’ll take action to pile the pressure onto Hamilton - let’s stop Adani in its tracks.

Learn more, and RSVP to one (or more!) of the Power Hours: