GlobeNewswire Inc | May 4, 2021 03:30AM EDT

May 04, 2021

LONDON, May 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW), a leading global advisory, broking, and solutions company, today announces the launch of Climate Transition Pathways (CTP), an accreditation framework that provides insurance companies and financial institutions with a consistent approach to identifying which organisations have robust transition plans aligned to the Paris Agreement, and supports their role as stewards in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Working with independent third-party groups including Volans, a consultancy responsible for the Bankers for Net Zero initiative, and the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), a global investment organization committed to climate resilience, the CTP governance committee is being created. In their role as committee members, they will be responsible for creating industry-specific solutions to be rolled-out over the coming months. They will utilize the Assessment for Low Carbon Transition (ACT) methodology and map the output to a robust accreditation model to review business commitments to principles aligned to the Paris Agreement and science-based targets consistent with reducing global emissions to help companies move to a net-zero carbon environment. Organisations meeting these principals and achieving accreditation will have the opportunity to access insurance capacity and capital to support their orderly transition and help them meet their low-carbon commitments.

Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance and the Prime Ministers Finance Adviser for COP26, said, To achieve net zero we need a whole economy transition - every company, bank, insurer and investor will have to adjust their business models, develop credible plans for the transition and implement them. As insurers take steps to align their underwriting activities with the transition, companies will increasingly need to display that they have the right plans or risk losing access to insurance. Willis Towers Watsons work to develop tools to assess companies transition plans is a valuable contribution to this process to ensure that every professional financial decision takes climate change into account.

Rowan Douglas, Head of the Climate and Resilience Hub at Willis Towers Watson said, To ensure thatorganisations in high-carbon industriestransition effectively, in line with what thescience indicates is needed, they require robust transition plans and the ability to execute successfully against these. By incubating Climate Transition Pathways (CTP), we are helping lead the industry in ensuring these organisations are supported through an orderly transition and can continue to access insurance and benefit from agreater level of certaintyaround the future availability of risk capacity, helping them deliver a more sustainable future.

Sean Kidney, CEO, CBI said, Our climate and environmental challenges are extraordinary. Responding to those, and to consumer and regulatory pressure, all businesses are reviewing their sustainable credentials. They need tools to help them do so. We are delighted to be collaborating with Willis Towers Watson and be part of the Governance Committee which will pioneer Climate Transition Pathways and provide a standard which will help businesses move to a more sustainable future.

More information on Climate Transition Pathways can be found at www.climatetransitionpathways.com.

About Willis Towers Watson

Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW) is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. With roots dating to 1828, Willis Towers Watson has 45,000 employees serving more than 140 countries and markets. We design and deliver solutions that manage risk, optimize benefits, cultivate talent, and expand the power of capital to protect and strengthen institutions and individuals. Our unique perspective allows us to see the critical intersections between talent, assets and ideas the dynamic formula that drives business performance. Together, we unlock potential. Learn more at willistowerswatson.com.

Media contacts:Willis Towers Watson - Sarah Booker +44 (0)7917 722040sarah.booker@willistowerswatson.com