News Releases

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The ACE Group today announced that it has renewed its support of American Forests on behalf of ACE’s global environmental liability operations. In its fifth year of support, the company is sponsoring the planting of more than 13,000 trees – one for each environmental policy written by ACE globally last year – in multiple locations around the world. In appreciation of its clients’ support in 2011, ACE is making this donation as part of American Forests’ Global ReLeaf program. This year’s donation brings the total to more than 36,000 tree plantings sponsored by ACE since its relationship with American Forests began in 2007.

“With this donation, ACE has reached a major milestone in its continued support of American Forests’ efforts to help restore areas damaged by wildfire and other natural disasters,” said William P. Hazelton, Executive Vice President, Environmental Risk, ACE USA. “ACE was the first property and casualty insurance company to join together with American Forests more than five years ago, sponsoring tree planting restoration projects across the United States. We are proud of the positive environmental impact we have been able to achieve in appreciation of our clients as we increase our support of this important cause.”

American Forests, the nation’s oldest nonprofit citizens’ conservation organization, helps people understand the need to restore forest ecosystems in urban and rural areas through community-based initiatives. The organization introduced Global ReLeaf in 1988 to restore damaged forest ecosystems through the planting of trees. The goal of this campaign is to plant 100 million trees by the year 2020.

ACE has been a pioneer in developing advanced environmental risk insurance solutions designed to minimize bottom line impacts and provide hands-on management for those liabilities. ACE’s Environmental Risk divisions in the U.S. and abroad offer a full range of specialized environmental and sustainable property and casualty insurance products and services, promoted as “ACE Green,” including coverages for premises-based exposures, contractors’ and project pollution liability, and renewable energy and environmental cleanup projects.

Managing environmental risks is more than a business priority at ACE. The company is also doing its part by reducing its own environmental impact and contributing to various environmental causes. In 2010, ACE achieved its goal of reducing global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by eight percent per employee two years ahead of schedule, and in 2011 reported a further decrease in GHG emissions, bringing its overall reduction to 18 percent per employee since 2006.

Through a combination of energy efficiency and other environmental improvements, ACE’s Bermuda office building earned LEED Gold certification in 2011, joining the company’s Philadelphia building, which earned LEED certification in 2009.

To engage our more than 16,000 employees worldwide in our environmental efforts, employee committees in nearly 200 offices are taking steps such as powering off office equipment, reducing waste through recycling programs, and participating in volunteer cleanup days in their local communities.

With the environment designated as one of three areas of focus, ACE is committed to promoting a healthy and sustainable planet. For example, earlier this year grants from the ACE Charitable Foundation were dedicated to new initiatives aimed at protecting key watersheds, expanding wildlife migration corridors, and investing in local green economies in the U.S. Grants from the ACE Charitable Foundation are also helping to train farmers and improve agricultural yields in Indonesia, teach and implement sustainable agricultural techniques in the Peruvian Andes, and preserve sensitive lands and habitats across the U.S.

In recognition of its range of environmental efforts, ACE was listed 6^th in the banks and insurance sector and 56^th overall in Newsweek’s 2011 Green Rankings of the 500 largest U.S. companies.

To learn more about the company’s environmental insurance products and services, please visitwww.acegroup.com. For more information about ACE’s overall environmental initiative, please visitwww.acegreen.com. For more information on American Forests, please visit www.americanforests.org.

The ACE Group is one of the world’s largest multiline property and casualty insurers. With operations in 53 countries, ACE provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. ACE Limited, the parent company of the ACE Group, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ACE) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Additional information can be found at: www.acegroup.com.