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The Travelers Institute Hosts Mitigation Symposium on Capitol Hill

^{Published on 2010-06-14 11:10:17 - Market Wire}
 

WASHINGTON--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--As part of an ongoing initiative to promote and raise awareness of disaster preparedness, [ The Travelers Institute ], the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: [ TRV ]), hosted a symposium today entitled aOpportunities for Integrating Disaster Mitigation and Energy Retrofit Programs,a along with Ceres, the Institute for Business and Home Safety and RenaissanceRe. Held on Capitol Hill in the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Room, the program convened policymakers, insurance representatives and other stakeholders to develop a framework for integrating energy efficiency measures into disaster mitigation home retrofits.

"Opportunities for Integrating Disaster Mitigation and Energy Retrofit Programs"

aExtreme weather events can cause massive damage and erase the investments of property owners and displace vulnerable populations into substandard housing,a said Joan Woodward, Travelers Executive Vice President and head of The Travelers Institute. aThe Travelers Institute is committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to advance and raise awareness of mitigation strategies that create more resilient communities. Building stronger homes is a key principle of the [ Travelers Coastal Wind Zone Plan ], our proposal to improve the affordability and availability of coastal wind storm insurance for homeowners.a

The program comprised a series of panel discussions to address how damage can be better managed through trusted and affordable building practices for new and existing structures, and if coupled with energy efficiency measures, can ensure long-lived quality housing and significant cost savings for households and the federal government alike. Click [ here ] to view the full agenda.

The Travelers Institute hosted the first panel discussion of the day, aThe Impact of Disasters and the Potential for Mitigation.a Moderated by Ms. Woodward, panelists included:

• Ed Laatsch, Chief, Building Science Section Risk Reduction Branch, Mitigation Division, FEMA;
• Warren Edwards, Director, Community and Regional Resilience Institute;
• Eric M. Nelson, Vice President, Personal Insurance and Risk Management, Travelers.

The discussion covered the economic and social impacts of disasters, the importance of raising awareness of disaster preparedness and mitigation techniques, and the effect disaster mitigation techniques can have on improving the availability and affordability of homeowners insurance for coastal residents.

About The Travelers Institute
The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: [ TRV ]), engages in discussion and analysis of public policy topics of importance to the insurance marketplace and the financial services industry. The Travelers Institute draws upon the industry expertise of Travelersa™ senior management and the technical expertise of many of Travelersa™ underwriters, risk managers and other experts to provide information and analysis to public policy makers and regulators. Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for [ auto ], [ home ]and [ business ]. For more information, visit [ www.travelers.com ].