Insure Our Future begins global week of protests

Insure Our Future begins global week of protests | Insurance Business New Zealand

Environmental

Insure Our Future begins global week of protests

Launch event held outside Lloyd’s headquarters

Environmental

By
Terry Gangcuangco

Image credit: Insure Our Future

Insure Our Future, a worldwide campaign of non-government organisations and social movements calling on the insurance industry to end its support for fossil fuel projects, has commenced its ‘Global Week of Action’ through Mothers Rise Up’s street performance outside the Lloyd’s headquarters in London.

The Mothers Rise Up theatrical demonstration featured dancers in a choreographed piece symbolising the current state of affairs and the renewable future being sought by the campaign. The show involved a young child representing the future, which in the performance’s narrative the insurance industry chose to side with and protect at the end.

Monday’s event kicked off a series of weeklong protests spanning 27 countries across six continents. Around 60 events are scheduled until March 3, with the goal of highlighting the insurance industry’s “complicity” in the climate crisis.

“As the climate crisis deepens and our fears mount for our children and all children, we continue to search for creative ways to inspire insurers to take courageous action,” Mothers Rise Up co-founder Maya Mailer said. “Through their underwriting choices, insurance companies can play a pivotal role in accelerating a fair, rapid transition to a world powered by safe, clean renewable energy.

“And yet insurers in the Lloyd’s marketplace continue to insure and enable dangerous fossil fuel expansion, including human rights-abusing projects like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. The world’s oldest and most influential marketplace should be a leader, not a laggard, and play its part now in preventing further climate breakdown.”

Emma Powell, also a co-founder of Mothers Rise Up, added: “We all want a healthy and thriving planet for children and future generations. Through music, props, and dance, we are creating a vision of a better world and urging the insurance industry to play its role in bringing this future into reality.

“We hope that our action will see those in the city looking up from their everyday busyness and committing to do their bit in working towards the cleaner, brighter future all children need.”

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