Bold Tendencies

Sustainability in our offices

As a small company we have a low carbon footprint, but we are still looking at ways in which we can reduce it.  We have been members of the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) since its inception and are working towards active member status by:

  • Implementing a Green Team to lead on initiatives and track progress 
  • Completing a 2019 carbon report which will give us a baseline carbon footprint to compare successive years to 
  • Carbon reporting on an annual basis 
  • Working to reduce this by; travelling by rail and public transport wherever possible, looking at ways we can reduce our energy consumption in our offices, looking at ways we can further reduce waste or use more sustainable processes.
  • Travel to Europe including, importantly, Art Basel is only by train
  • Assisting and supporting the GCC and other environmental initiatives in their mission by providing insurance knowledge, participating in or promoting events and best practice guidelines

Advocating for change

Hallett Independent ensures it is involved in industry specific discussions about how we can play our part - and help our clients play their part - in tackling climate change. We work to clarify the part insurance may play in the climate discussion and to ensure that insurance requirements do not hinder the desire to do things more sustainably.

The transportation of works of art via air freight is a major contribution to greenhouse gas emissions in the art sector. When the GCC recommended galleries send works of art via sea freight as opposed to air - which has x60 the carbon footprint of sea shipping - Adam pointed out that this would be superb except that most art insurers impose limitations on transit cover via sea freight or exclude cover altogether. Adam then played a key role acting as the conduit between GCC and the wider fine art insurance including the Lloyds Market Association and Joint Specie Committee to develop best practice guidelines for insuring sea transits.  

Best practice and insurance guidelines from the GCC website 

Events

Useful Information

Documents, links and updates on climate change and insurance can be found here:

GCC sustainable shipping

Flood re

Insurers we use

We realise our clients may be interested in the insurers we use and their approach to sustainability. They have detailed ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) policies which can be found on their websites, some links below.

Many insurers subscribe to the Paris agreement, put into place at COP 21 in 2015.  Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

Also, insurers who underwrite but also may invest in companies involved in fossil fuels, have put measures in place to extricate themselves from these businesses. Measures include not providing any new (and phasing out by 2025) any existing insurance businesses involved in thermal coal, oil sands or exploration, production or transportation of oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife refuge.

Our Impact, Our Future: Sustainability at AXA XL

Aviva: Taking Climate Action

Environmental charities we support/are members of