MetLife’s Green Investments Total $18.3 Billion

Published

August 07, 2020

Ambitions

In 2016, MetLife became the first U.S.-based insurer to achieve carbon neutrality. It had three other public, global environmental targets that it achieved by the end of 2019, one year ahead of schedule
In fact, MetLife nearly tripled its energy and GHG emissions targets, reducing them by 33% and 27%, respectively. MetLife achieved these energy and GHG reductions through energy efficiency projects, workspace sustainability best practices, real estate consolidation, and collaboration tools that reduce travel, among other efforts.
MetLife performs internal carbon audits at facilities to identify potential energy efficiency and environmental improvement projects as part of its capital projects and facility upgrade processes. During the past few years, the company implemented more than 60 energy efficiency projects in 17 countries, designed multiple new offices to high standards in energy management, and hosted educational energy action campaigns for employees in 20+ countries. In 2019 alone, MetLife retrofitted more than 9,500 efficient LED lightbulbs at its offices around the world.

MetLife Investment Management, the company’s institutional asset management business, is a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment, a global framework that outlines key considerations in the investment decision-making process with a specific focus on ESG factors.
As of December 31, 2019, MetLife Investment Management’s Responsible Investments portfolio totaled approximately $58 billion, or more than 9% of total combined managed assets. It includes Green Investments, Affordable Housing Investments, Infrastructure Investments, Municipal Bonds, and Impact Investments.
In 2019, MetLife invested more than $1 billion in green initiatives, bringing total green investments to $18.3 billion. Green investments include equity stakes in LEED-certified real estate properties and ownership stakes in wind and solar farms that produce clean energy to power almost 1.5 million homes. In addition, MetLife invests in infrastructure projects that build or upgrade airports, ports, roads, pipelines, transmission lines, and power generation, including renewable energy projects, which build resiliency in communities against the worst impacts of climate change.

In June 2020, MetLife developed a Sustainable Financing Framework and issued its first sustainable bond, issuing $750 million of debt. This made MetLife the first insurance company to issue a sustainable funding agreement-backed note.
As weather patterns continue to shift and elevate the extremity of natural disasters, MetLife continues to invest in research and technology to help mitigate climate risks for its Property & Casualty customers. As one example, MetLife teamed up with Zesty.ai, an artificial intelligence and aerial imagery startup, to improve assessments in wildfire risk.