Swiss Re Hosts Conference On Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Developing new business strategies and financial solutions for the transition to a lower greenhouse gas (GHG) future is the focus of an upcoming conference to be hosted by Swiss Re on October 11-12 at its Center for Global Dialogue in Ruschlikon, Switzerland.

The conference, entitled "Reducing greenhouse gases - anticipating tomorrow's drivers, opportunities and financial solutions," aims to encourage dialogue between stakeholders and enable businesses that are coping with ways to reduce GHG to find solutions for reaching a sustainable climatic future.

During the July 2001 Conference of the Parties (COP-6bis) in Bonn, more than 180 nations pledged their commitment to enact the Kyoto Protocol. While the details of this clear statement of intent still need to be finalised and ratified, the business community is already considering the ramifications and quantifying the economics of cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

"The international community has given a clear signal that it intends to begin the process towards de-carbonising economic growth," said Peter Forstmoser, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Swiss Re. "We feel strongly that this gathering of stakeholders helps bring the challenges into focus while providing the opportunity for us to agree on the way forward."

As a leading financial service provider and reinsurer, Swiss Re has a vital interest in assessing and managing current and future risks to the environment. This conference is a major event in Swiss Re's series of sustainability related initiatives. It is one of the first business-sponsored forums to bring together representatives of the regulatory process, the business and financial world, NGOs and the media.

Maurice Strong, Senior Advisor to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, will be among the key speakers at the event which will also include leading representatives from the United States and the European Commission.

Severaly of the key statements from the conference will be announced at a press conference to take place at the Center for Global Dialogue in Ruschlikon on Thursday, October 11, 2001. For those unable to attend, these statements will be available as of 6:30 am EDT that morning by logging on to http://www.ruschlikon.net.

The conference is being organised in conjunction with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). To lessen the event's impact on the environment, Swiss Re has commissioned Future Forests to calculate the carbon dioxide emissions from the event and to balance those emissions through 'gold standard' forestry and low carbon technology projects. This will be the first time a Carbon Neutral(R) conference has been held.

Swiss Re has, for the third year running, achieved official recognition for its commitment to sustainability by being listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Group Index (DJSGI). In addition, Oekom Research Group Index, in its latest review, has placed Swiss Re second among 27 insurance companies rated for its approach to environmental and sustainability matters.

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