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Environmental Risks
At a time when society is becoming increasingly aware of ecological issues and regulations are becoming more and more restrictive, our teams can help you deal with environmental risks.
Assurez vos risques
Any activity can lead to the release of substances considered "pollutants" and cause damage to humans and/or the natural environment. To address these issues, environmental risk insurance, which was previously limited to civil liability coverage, is now more akin to a damage or "multirisk" insurance.
It covers not only civil liability but also the company's administrative responsibility by covering the repair of the environment (wildlife, flora, water, soil), as well as damages suffered by the company itself due to this pollution (business interruption, site decontamination costs).
This applies to all companies, regardless of their size or activities.
Coverage Interventions
The coverage applies:
- During the operation of a site: in the event of environmental damage, pollution migrating to neighboring lands or affecting protected areas, in addition to impacting the insured's own site.
- During transportation, when an accident or loss of goods affects third-party land, roads, rivers, groundwater, and/or protected areas, or the goods being transported, including in the case of a road accident.
- When an intervention at a third party's site causes pollution affecting the third party’s site or neighboring land, as well as environmental damage impacting protected areas.
What are the coverages ?
Prevention and Emergency Costs
To neutralize, isolate, or eliminate an imminent threat that could cause damage to third parties or the environment.
Civil Liability for Environmental Damage
In the event of a third-party claim following bodily injury, material or immaterial damage, whether consequential or not, caused by pollution, accidental or gradual, or a nuisance occurring on the company's site, during transportation operations, including in the case of a road accident, or on a company construction site or any third-party site.
Environmental Liability
In the event of environmental damage caused by the company due to its activities, affecting water, soil, and natural resources, as well as protected species and habitats, with or without an event of pollution.
Ecological Damage
The coverage includes the cost of damage assessment, study fees to determine corrective actions, restoration measures in kind, administrative and legal fees, execution costs, data collection costs, overheads, and monitoring and follow-up costs, such as for restoration work...
Business Interruption Losses Incurred by the Insured
In the event of a business shutdown due to pollution or environmental damage, the Insured is covered, including loss of income suffered by the Insured from real estate properties they own (loss of rental income).
Decontamination and Restoration Costs
Costs incurred by the insured to repair the damage suffered by their business, such as decontamination costs for soil, water, buildings, tools, and goods, including study and research fees.
Civil, administrative, and appeal defense costs incurred by the insured.
Our clients
All sectors, all company sizes:
- From very small businesses to CAC 40 companies, including local authorities
- Operator of a classified or unclassified site
- Whatever the sector: industry, renewable energies including hydrogen, logistics - transport, construction, etc.
- Whatever the activity: production, collection, transport, manufacturing, storage of all types of products, including hazardous materials
- Whatever the neighborhood: activities close to an urban, industrial or commercial area, to a facility open to the public, to land, to private dwellings... / activities close to a protected area or habitat...
Why chosose Howden ?
We're with you every step of the way, from the design and construction phases through to site operation and maintenance/intervention on third-party sites.
- Proximity: the presence of our offices throughout France provides the proximity and responsiveness essential to the smooth running of the relationships we wish to establish with our customers.
- International: our integrated international network means we can support you in over a hundred countries, enabling us to set up dedicated local environmental policies for global coverage of your risks.
- Reactivity: as soon as a claim occurs, we do everything in our power to manage events quickly and efficiently in order to limit their impact, and provide you with support to guide you through the process of having your claims handled by your insurance company.
- Focus on environmental liability guarantees: we offer environmental liability guarantees for periods of up to 10 years, enabling you to obtain rapid compensation in the event of the discovery of past pollution, without having to activate the sales contract.
Contact
Florence Bidard
Florence Bidard
Director of the Liability & Special Risks Product Line
Florence Bidard holds a Master's degree in Business Law and a postgraduate degree in Insurance Law obtained from the University of Caen, as well as a Master of European Law from the University of Edinburgh.
Florence began her career at the brokerage firm Impact Assurances. She joined the AIG group in 1999, where she held various underwriting and management positions in the financial risks and liability departments. She later became responsible for development and brokerage relations, overseeing regional delegations.
Before joining Howden France, Florence served as Director of the Liability and Environmental Department at Liberty since 2018. She was appointed Director of the Liability & Special Risks Product Line at Howden France in July 2023, bringing her extensive expertise in underwriting and client relationship management to the role.
