Aflac in Top 15% on Newsweek's Green Rankings U.S. 500 List

COLUMBUS, Ga., Oct. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the number one provider of supplemental insurance in the United States, has landed at No. 69 on Newsweek's Green Ranking of 500 U.S. Companies for 2012. It is the second consecutive year that Aflac is in the top 15% of companies on this coveted list, which compares the environmental performance of America's largest publicly traded companies.

"We are pleased that Aflac is in the top 15% in Newsweek's annual green rankings," Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos said. "As an international business that serves more than 50 million people, we understand that we have a responsibility to the environment and to the communities we serve."

To produce the 2012 Green Rankings, Newsweek collaborated with leading environmental research providers, Trucost and Sustainalytics, to assess each company's environmental footprint, management of that footprint, and transparency. The Green Rankings focus on the largest publicly traded companies in America (the U.S. 500 list). The list consists of the largest 500 companies by revenue (most recent fiscal year), market capitalization, and number of employees, as of April 30, 2012.

Aflac U.S., which employs approximately 4,600 people at various locations across the nation, has both an employee-led green committee and a green committee at the Board of Directors level. In recent years, the company has placed a significant focus on green-related programs, producing significant results, including a reduction of Scope 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gas emissions by 42% since 2007. Aflac also uses 21% less electricity than in 2007 and increased the percentage of solid waste recycled from 67% to 75% over the same time period.

"Improving our overall footprint has been a concerted effort on the part of Aflac, the board of directors, our green committee and our employees," Aflac Vice President of Facilities and Chair of the employee-led Green Committee, Alfred Blackmar said. "We are extremely pleased that Newsweek has recognized these efforts by ranking us among the top environment-friendly companies in the nation."

ABOUT AFLAC
When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For more than 55 years, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance. In Japan, Aflac is the number one life insurance company in terms of individual policies in force. Aflac individual and group insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For six consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2012, FORTUNE magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 14th consecutive year. Also, FORTUNE magazine included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 11th time in 2012.  Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com or espanol.aflac.com.

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SOURCE Aflac

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