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NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chubb Charitable Foundation announced today that it has granted $346,000 to Rainforest Trust for a project to support the expansion and protection of one of the largest intact rainforest ecosystems in Southeast Asia. The grant is part of a previously announced $500,000 commitment to Rainforest Trust, a global conservation organization that purchases and protects the most threatened tropical forests, saving endangered wildlife and sequestering carbon through partnerships and community engagement.

The Foundation's new grant will help protect an additional 2,472 acres of land in the Leuser Ecosystem on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.  The project will extend a protected wildlife corridor vital to endangered and threatened species, including Sumatran elephants and rhinos, tigers and orangutans. The ecosystem is a globally important carbon sink, and the property stores nearly 350,000 metric tons of carbon, equal to about 3 billion miles driven by the average passenger vehicle.

Rainforest Trust is working with local partner Forum Konservasi Leuser (FKL) to secure the additional land, which will then be designated under the nationally recognized land status of "Essential Ecosystem Area."

The Chubb Charitable Foundation's support to Rainforest Trust has been directed to the organization's Conservation Action Fund, which focuses on urgent conservation initiatives to protect critical habitats that would otherwise be used for development, agriculture or natural resource extraction. The Foundation's first grant of $154,000, announced in June, supported Rainforest Trust's expansion of the Papagaios de Altitude Reserve in the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil, one of the world's most threatened biodiversity hotspots.

"Sumatra's Leuser Ecosystem is  the only place on earth where orangutans, tigers, rhinos and elephants coexist in the wild and is home to many species found nowhere else on earth," said Lori Dunstan, Vice President, Global Corporate Giving at Chubb. "New infrastructure developments, such as hydropower and road construction, threaten to further devastate the ecosystem and endanger sensitive wildlife habitats, making it an urgent conservation priority. Rainforest Trust's protection of threatened rainforest ecosystems not only slows species extinctions but also prevents carbon emissions, an effort closely aligned with Chubb's commitment to do its part as a steward of the Earth."

Chubb, its employees and its charitable foundation continue to demonstrate their support for a wide range of environmental philanthropies and volunteer activities in local communities around the world. Chubb Charitable Foundation grants have helped preserve sensitive lands and habitats, finance green business entrepreneurs, and support educational programs that promote a healthy and sustainable environment, both domestically and globally.

About Rainforest Trust

Since 1988, Rainforest Trust has been safeguarding imperiled tropical habitats and saving endangered species by establishing protected areas in partnership with local organizations and communities. In that time, the organization has helped protect over 24 million acres of critically important rainforest and other key habitats at more than 125 project sites around the world. Learn more about and support this important work by visiting www.RainforestTrust.org, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

About Chubb

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 33,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: chubb.com. 

About the Chubb Charitable Foundation

The Chubb Charitable Foundation supports U.S.-based non-profit organizations through grant-making and projects aligned with defined focus areas including education, the environment, and poverty and health. The Foundation believes that meaningful contributions that support our communities globally provide lasting benefits to society, to Chubb and to Chubb employees. Through philanthropy, global partnerships and company sponsored-volunteer activities focused on giving the gift of time and donations, the Chubb Charitable Foundation supports clearly defined projects that solve problems with measurable and sustainable outcomes, helping people in the countries where we live and work build productive and healthy lives. Our commitment to assist those less fortunate and to be stewards of the planet is focused on the areas of education, poverty and health, and the environment.

SOURCE Chubb