As the 2019 wildfire season gets underway, many homeowners and businesses in at-risk areas have seen their insurance rates go up or their insurance policies dropped altogether. According to the California Department of Insurance, nearly 350,000 rural homeowners have received non-renewal notices in just the past four years. Meanwhile, US insurance companies continue to insure and invest in coal, oil, and gas companies that are causing the climate crisis and helping to create the conditions for these record-breaking wildfires.

This is a sign-on letter from California communities, organizations, and local leaders to the CEOs of Liberty Mutual, AIG, and Farmers Insurance, the three largest fire insurance companies. If you would like to sign onto the letter, please fill out the brief form below.

DEADLINE TO SIGN IS EXTENDED TO WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6.

All signatories will be notified ahead of the letter's submission to press. Please direct questions to mary@sunriseproject.net.

For more information see this statement released by Insure Our Future: https://www.insureourfuture.us/updates/2019/9/25/insure-our-future-calls-on-insurance-companies-to-cut-ties-with-fossil-fuels-in-the-wake-of-climate-related-rate-hikes-and-policy-cancellations

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To:
David Long, CEO, Liberty Mutual Group
Brian Duperreault, CEO, American Insurance Group (AIG)
Jeff Dailey, CEO, Farmers Insurance Group

We, the undersigned, call on you, as leaders of the largest fire insurance companies in the U.S., to take responsibility for your companies’ role in the climate crisis that is creating the conditions for the wildfires across California by taking immediate action to stop insuring and investing in fossil fuels.

We are representatives of communities across California -- as well as local and regional environmental organizations and elected officials -- that are concerned about climate change increasing the risk of wildfires in California, and the willingness of insurance companies to abandon our local communities while continuing to support industries that are driving the climate crisis.

With the onset of the 2019 wildfire season, many homeowners in at-risk areas have seen their insurance rates increase or have received non-renewals. According to the California Department of Insurance, nearly 350,000 homeowners have received non-renewal notices in just the past four years and policyholders in zip codes hit affected by the 2015 and 2017 fires saw the rate of non-renewals increase by 10%. (1)(2)

Your companies have known about the risks of climate change for decades and scientists are telling us that climate change is causing longer wildfire seasons with bigger and more destructive fires. Yet even now, as we are experiencing the impacts of climate change, you continue to do business with the fossil fuel companies that are causing the conditions that make these fires so devastating and costly.

It is hypocritical to drop homeowners’ policies while continuing to support fossil fuel companies. We are calling on you to protect our communities by becoming a part of the solution to the climate crisis by ending your insurance coverage of, and investments in, fossil fuels.

We know that your companies can do better. In the past two years, 15 international insurers have adopted policies to address climate change by limiting their insurance coverage for fossil fuels and over 20 have divested.(3) This summer, Chubb became the first major U.S. insurance company to adopt a coal policy restricting new insurance of, and investment in, coal projects and companies. (4) There is no reason for you not to do the same, and every reason to step up as leaders in the face of this crisis.

We hope you will recognize the opportunity for leadership and take decisive action for the future of our local communities and our planet.


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1) https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article234161407.html
2) http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0400-news/0100-press-releases/2019/upload/nr063_factsheetwildfire.pdf
3) https://unfriendcoal.com/coal-insurance/
4)  https://www.chubb.com/us-en/about-chubb/chubb-coal-policy.aspx