Clean Tech Firms Vulnerable to Global Business Risks, Chubb Study Finds

Many clean tech companies may not be paying enough attention to managing the risks of sourcing components and sending goods and employees across borders, a new study from Chubb Group found.

According to the Chubb 2012 Clean Tech Industry Survey, 36 percent of clean tech companies have not created a supply chain disruption plan. Of the 40 percent of clean tech companies that rely on foreign businesses for their supply chain, 45 percent source components from Chinese companies, and 75 percent have little or no concern about supply chain stability.

Additionally, 45 percent of all survey respondents have not instituted best practices to help prevent cargo theft, and 59 percent do not have an up-to-date business recovery plan. More than half of the 71 percent of clean tech companies that conduct business abroad do not purchase workers’ compensation protection for employees who travel outside the United States.

“Clean tech entrepreneurs may be accustomed to taking risks, but overlooking ways to reduce supply chain and other global business exposures could affect their companies’ viability,” said Amy Ingram, vice president and worldwide clean tech manager for Chubb. “A catastrophe like the Japanese tsunami can shut down suppliers for months and sink a company that does not have a business continuity and recovery plan.”

The Chubb 2012 Clean Tech Industry Survey was conducted by Hansa GCR, an independent public opinion and market research firm. The firm conducted telephone interviews with insurance decision makers at 268 clean tech companies in the United States and Canada.

Source: Chubb Group of Insurance Companies