Organizations urged U.S. insurers to protect the Arctic Refuge

News resource

In September 2022, the Gwich'in Steering Committee and 240 allied organizations called on U.S. insurance companies to adopt clear policies against supporting oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The coalition's letter followed direct deliveries to two insurance companies in Hartford, Connecticut, and was subsequently sent to major U.S. insurers with potential resource-development business in Alaska. The appeal connected underwriting, investment, Indigenous rights, wildlife protection, and climate risk.

What the coalition requested

The letter asked insurance companies to:

• State publicly that they would not insure or invest in energy exploration, production, or transportation in the Arctic Refuge and the wider Arctic region.
• Adopt formal rules excluding new coverage, or extensions of existing coverage, for oil and gas activity in the refuge.
• Review investments in companies involved in proposed refuge development or lacking policies that rule out such involvement.
• Recognize Indigenous peoples' right to free, prior, and informed consent in relevant decisions and operations.

The appeal built on earlier engagement with the insurance industry and on a policy scorecard tracking financial institutions' positions. It argued that insurers should join international companies and banks that had already restricted support for drilling in the refuge.

Why the Coastal Plain matters

The Coastal Plain is part of the homeland and cultural landscape of the Gwich'in, whose communities span Alaska and Canada. It is also the calving ground of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, whose seasonal movements connect food systems, wildlife habitat, and long-standing cultural relationships.

The 2022 letter placed insurance policy within that larger context. Its central argument was that financial decisions can influence whether sensitive Arctic lands remain available for the communities and species that depend on them.

At the time of the appeal, the future of the Coastal Plain remained unsettled despite the withdrawal of energy companies from leases. The coalition therefore framed permanent protection, rather than a temporary market decision, as the lasting objective.