Citizenship

MetLife prides itself on being a good corporate citizen. As an extension of our corporate citizenship, we know that our customers are increasingly interested in doing business with an environmentally-conscious company. As the largest U.S. life insurer with 70 million customers and over 49,000 employees worldwide, we know that "green" initiatives can potentially have a significant impact on the global environment.

Indeed, as a leader in the financial services industry, MetLife is poised to address climate change and embrace the opportunities that it presents. MetLife is committed to adapting its business model in the face of climate change. We increasingly embrace emerging technologies, green products and environmentally-friendly services, and we factor the climate change as part of our management policy. MetLife is committed to increasing our use of renewable energy and conserving energy throughout our facilities in the United States and around the globe.

MetLife's efforts to focus on the benefits of a healthy environment can be traced back to 1871, just 3 years after the company was formed. At that time, MetLife encouraged its policyholders to "let in the sunlight" and to remember that "pure water" and "fresh air" will ensure a healthier life.

While examples of MetLife's efforts to benefits its customers, employees and the environment are sprinkled throughout the company's 140-year history, a number of examples stand out, including when, from 1955 to 1957, MetLife instituted a pioneering $2.5 million program of installing smoke control devices in all four of its New York City housing developments. Mayor Robert F. Wagner recognized MetLife for its "distinguished contribution toward achieving cleaner air for the City of New York."

In 1970, MetLife began reprocessing of old newspapers from the home office and the 40,000 tenants who lived in the company's East Coast housing complexes, saving approximately 35,000 trees a year. The company also eliminated refuse burning by replacing the incinerators with compacting machines. In 1974, MetLife attacked the nation's energy problem by lowering thermostats, cutbacks in lighting and reducing elevator service in company-owned buildings. The program resulted in such a reduction in MetLife's electric and steam usage at the home office that the company received an Energy Savers Award from Consolidated Edison of New York.

At MetLife, our focus on corporate responsibility centers on 4 key areas:

Business Activities. Our lines of business have several initiatives underway, many of which are aimed at 'reducing.' For example, by investing in online resources for our representatives and our customers and implementing "e-delivery" practices, we can reduce the amount of paper used for statements, prospectuses and other annual reports whenever possible. Through these concerted efforts, we project our initiatives will save close to 10 billion pages of printed materials as well as enable MetLife to benefit from cost savings at the same time. When we do print materials, we ensure we're doing so in a way that reduces and reuses. All of the paper mills and paper distributors that MetLife uses are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.

Operations. By far one of the most concerted areas of focus has been around MetLife owned and/or operated offices that house our associates. Beyond common paper, can and glass recycling practices, MetLife continually demonstrates its leadership through example. MetLife has implemented an aggressive energy management policy, which incorporates industry and individual best practices. As a result, MetLife has received Energy Star ratings for nine of its largest U.S. domestic sites: Long Island City, New York; Johnston, Pennsylvania; Aurora, Illinois; Warwick, Rhode Island and all three of the company's owned New Jersey properties. MetLife has one of the largest Energy Star rated real estate portfolios in the country. Together, these sites represent 40% of our total U.S. workforce. What's more, 53% of the total power used by MetLife sites comes from non-carbon fuels and more than 10% of our utility power comes from renewable energy sources. Since 2006, MetLife has reduced its energy consumption by more than 7%, carbon emissions by 10% and has a goal to reduce emissions 20% by 2010. In addition, we are seeking certification by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System for several of our offices including Long Island City and our new offices at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in New York City.

Investments. Currently, MetLife has invested $1.1 billion in 11 renewable energy projects, including wind, biomass, hydro, ethanol and geothermal.In addition, as a company that has invested in real estate for over a century, the company is currently investing in numerous new development projects being designed and built to LEED certification standards including joint venture projects across the United States.

People. In part through the MetLife Foundation (MLF), MetLife has sought out and supported programs with a clear 'green' component. These have covered such areas as health improvement; open space, urban park and community development; and education and outreach. For example, since 1994, MLF has given the New York Botanical Garden over $1.2 million for biodiversity and healthy aging projects. And with $2.6 million from MLF, the Trust for Public Land is bringing parks and playgrounds to urban neighborhoods across the U.S.

The efforts and initiatives summarized here are just a few examples of how MetLife is delivering on its commitment to benefit our planet. We invite you to visit this page in the future to learn more about our efforts and see how they are truly making a difference.