Zurich Insurance is adding a 24-hour environmental emergency response service to commercial environmental policies written by its UK team, giving customers access to specialist support following spills and pollution incidents.

Zurich Environmental Emergency Response, or ZEER, will be added to existing environmental insurance cover written by Zurich’s UK team at no extra cost, and will be expanded across further commercial policies in the coming months.

Delivered in partnership with Spill Center, the programme provides access to a network of around 3,700 contractors worldwide. Customers can report incidents by phone or through a dedicated app.

The service is designed to respond to incidents including fuel spills and chemical leaks, while also assisting businesses with regulatory reporting and liaison with authorities where required.

Clive Walker, global head of environmental impairment liability at Zurich, said: “We’re delighted to be introducing this important service at no additional upfront cost to our customers. Offering Zurich Environmental Emergency Response will make things easier for our commercial clients when something unexpected happens, and helps guard against both the environmental and reputational impact of incidents by ensuring they’re tackled quickly and expertly. Spill Center has been available to Zurich customers for policies bought in the US and Canada for many years so it’s great to be making their expertise available for business written out of the UK as well.”

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