Aon P.L.C. on Tuesday said it has signed on to the United Nations’ Principles for Sustainable Insurance, a global framework for the insurance industry that seeks to address environmental, social and governance risks.

The principles focus on managing a range of environmental, social and governance, or ESG, risks and opportunities in core business activities, Aon said in a statement. 

This includes analyzing and reducing disaster risks and health risks, developing insurance solutions for vulnerable communities and cities, and investments in resilient infrastructure and green technologies, Aon said.

“As the first global insurance broker to sign the Principles for Sustainable Insurance, Aon is demonstrating unparalleled leadership and commitment from the insurance broking community to support the global effort of building resilient, inclusive and sustainable communities and economies," said Butch Bacani, program leader for the UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative.

The principles were developed after the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative conducted a series of research studies from 2006 to 2009, the group said.

The four principles as stated in Aon’s statement are:

• Principle 1: We will embed in our decision-making environmental, social and governance issues relevant to our insurance business.
   
• Principle 2: We will work together with our clients and business partners to raise awareness of environmental, social and governance issues, manage risk and develop solutions.
   
• Principle 3: We will work together with governments, regulators and other key stakeholders to promote widespread action across society on environmental, social and governance issues.
   
• Principle 4: We will demonstrate accountability and transparency in regularly disclosing publicly our progress in implementing the principles.

Aon said its other environmental efforts include the recently released paper “An Investor’s Guide to Responsible Investment,” which examines the increased focus on responsible investment across asset classes, and the Aon Weather & Climate Risk Innovation network, which aims to help clients evaluate the potential impact of climate risk and weather on their operations and to develop risk financing strategies to improve resilience.