Early on June 16, 20 protesters held up four long banners outside the offices of Marsh Insurance at Barangaroo to protest the company鈥檚 contracts with the Adani coal mine in Queensland.聽Marsh Insurers occupy the 19th floor.
The banners read: 鈥淢arsh insurance has a new climate policy鈥; 鈥淢arsh have you dumped Adani鈥檚 coal mine yet?鈥; 鈥淚s it Greenwash Marsh?鈥, and 鈥淢arsh tell us now鈥.
Four global insurers have agreed to underwrite work on the Adani coal mine, which will produce 60 million tonnes of coal annually. Approval for Adani鈥檚 coal mine will pave the way for further coal mines in the huge Galilee Basin.聽
Leaked invoices obtained by the Sydney Morning Herald revealed on June 11 that Marsh Insurance Brokers has agreed to cover work on the Adani coal mine, along with Liberty International Underwriters, HDI and XL Australia. They charged Adani for policies covering construction work for the mine and rail project last November, while insurance giant Aspen Re covered work in January.
A Marsh McLennan employee, frustrated with the company鈥檚 lack of transparency, leaked the invoices on condition of anonymity.聽
Marsh has reportedly been working with Adani since 2015 and, like other companies, has been the target of protesters鈥 pressure, given coal鈥檚 contribution to the climate crisis.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kept under lock and key. Colleagues are finding out about Marsh鈥檚 affiliation via the protests and articles in the news,鈥 the whistleblower said.聽
At its annual general meeting in May in New York, the company鈥檚 parent group, Marsh & McLennan, released a one page 鈥渃lient engagement principles鈥 document. It said the firm was committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on climate change. Stop Adani has labelled the document 鈥済reenwash鈥.