Leveraging an Innovative "Insurance + Technology" Approach to Safeguard 55,000 Ancient Trees and Promote Biodiversity Conservation
HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, Nov. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An" or "the Group", HKEX: 2318/82318; SSE: 601318) presented its biodiversity protection project, "Ancient Tree Guardian Action", at the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held in Belém, Brazil. This initiative deeply integrates insurance coverage, technology, and social welfare to establish a sustainable protection system for ancient and notable trees in China, demonstrating the innovative efforts of a Chinese enterprise in tackling climate change and preserving biodiversity.
Innovative Approaches to Overcome Challenges in Ancient Tree Conservation
China harbors a rich heritage of ancient trees, with around 5.08 million specimens recognized for their ecological, historical, and scientific significance. These venerable trees, however, face serious threats from climate change, pest infestations, and insufficient maintenance funding. Since ancient trees are widely scattered and their value is difficult to quantify, insurance companies must dedicate extensive resources to individual inspections and ongoing monitoring. This demand places a heavy burden on underwriting capabilities, making it hard for traditional commercial insurance models to offer comprehensive protection.
To tackle this challenge, Ping An introduced an innovative "Insurance + Technology" model, integrating cutting-edge technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT). This model combines assessments of ancient tree growth, geographical location, and historical risk data to enable multidimensional evaluation. Building on this, Ping An launched Guangdong's first ancient-tree insurance in 2023, creating a full-chain model "pre-disaster prevention, in-disaster emergency response, and post-disaster compensation" mechanism. As of October 2025, the project has provided over RMB 700 million (approximately USD 98 million) in risk protection for more than 55,000 ancient and notable trees nationwide.
Shifting From Post-Disaster Compensation to Pre-Disaster Prevention through Technology-Enabled Protection
The application of technology is a key characteristic of Ping An's ancient tree protection program. Ping An uses IoT, environmental sensors, and wireless communications to monitor crucial indicators such as soil moisture, air quality, and tree health, 24/7. All data is uploaded to the cloud in real time, where an intelligent management system enables visualization and dynamic alerts, providing caretakers with precise, science-based guidance for tree maintenance.
Ping An has also developed its proprietary "EagleX" system, which integrates remote sensing, meteorological monitoring, big data, and AI analytics to track extreme weather, floods, typhoons, and other natural hazards in real time. The system issues timely alerts when major risks are detected, extending insurance services from post-disaster compensation to pre-disaster prevention and significantly reducing the likelihood of damage to ancient trees.
Empowering Communities and Fostering Green Economic Growth Through Public Initiatives
Beyond providing financial security, Ping An actively engages in a range of public welfare activities, including educational programs on ancient trees and photography exhibitions, to raise public awareness of biodiversity conservation. In 2025, Ping An launched an eco-tourism campaign titled "Travel with Ancient Trees," creating distinctive tourism routes centered on ancient trees. This initiative was promoted to 250 million registered users through Ping An's "Auto Owner" app. While spreading ecological knowledge, the campaign also stimulates the growth of local green economies.
Promoting Biodiversity Conservation Through Green Finance
Ping An's "Ancient Tree Guardian Action" forms a vital part of its green finance strategy. In addition to safeguarding ancient trees, Ping An provides insurance coverage for carbon-sequestering ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, wetlands, and marine environments. By the end of 2024, Ping An's Carbon Sink Insurance had expanded to cover 18 provinces and municipalities nationwide, providing robust financial backing for ecological preservation.
In recent years, the Group has expanded both the depth and breadth of its green finance initiatives, advancing coordinated efforts across green insurance, banking, and investment. As of June 30, 2025, Ping An's green investments totaled RMB 144.482 billion (approximately USD 20 billion), green loan balances reached RMB 251.746 billion (around USD 35.3 billion), and premium income from green insurance for the first three quarters amounted to RMB 55.279 billion (about USD 7.7 billion).
Looking ahead, Chen Yao, General Manager of the Brand Department at Ping An Group, stated: "Ping An will persist in promoting innovation within green finance. The Group aims to create a wider range of green insurance and investment products, collaborating with international partners to support sustainable development and the preservation of our environment."
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