Climate Activists Sing For Change To Simsbury Insurance Executive

SIMSBURY, CT — A statewide environmental organization recently paid a visit to a Hartford insurance company executive's home in Simsbury for a bit of holiday-theme activism.

Climate activists from Connecticut Citizen Action Group (CCAG) and the CT Insure Our Future coalition paid a visit Dec. 21 to The Hartford's new sustainability officer, Terrence Shields, in Simsbury for some climate-themed holiday caroling.

According to CCAG, The Hartford insurance company has lagged behind leading international insurers on taking substantive steps to address climate risks.

"However, a new chief sustainability officer brings a new opportunity for real climate action," wrote the group in a statement.

Insure Our Future’s annual scorecard ranks the top 30 global insurers on the quality of their fossil fuel policies.

"In two years The Hartford dropped to 17th place, but now, with strong leadership for a new Chief Sustainability Officer, it could become a global climate leader," wrote the CCAG

Climate activists are calling on Shields, The Hartford’s first-ever chief sustainability officer, to step up The Hartford’s climate ambition and ensure the company stops insuring oil and gas expansion and fueling the climate crisis.

“We came to Shields’ home with a message of hope,” said Tom Swan, executive director of Connecticut Citizen Action Group. “His new appointment as chief sustainability officer brings an exciting opportunity for The Hartford in 2023.

"We are looking to Shields to bring his company to the same level of climate consciousness as global insurers, and to make The Hartford a climate leader in the U.S.”

“Shields has been active on the Governor's Council on Climate Change(GC3), he knows how important this work is,” said Angel Serrano, a community organizer with Connecticut Citizen Action Group. “We are hopeful he initiates the stopping of new oil & gas projects and to bring their investing and underwriting policies in alignment with the Paris Agreement."

The Connecticut Citizen Action Group, established in 1971, is dedicated to actively engaging the residents of Connecticut in addressing consumer, environmental, economic and social justice issues. For more information, visit ccag.net.

Insure Our Future is a global campaign of 24 non-government organizations and social movements from 14 countries that hold the insurance industry accountable for its role in the climate crisis.

It calls on insurance companies to immediately stop insuring new fossil fuels and phase out support for existing coal, oil and gas projects, according to a statement.

To watch a Facebook Livestream of the event, click on this link.