Governance

Our sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts are guided by strong governance and a shared responsibility across functions.

Our ability to operate responsibly and manage the impact we have as a business, leader, and employer is a key element of our purpose, Always with you, building a more confident future. Effective governance is one of the key pillars that underpins our company’s ability to fulfill our purpose and enables us to deliver on the promises we make to our customers, employees, and shareholders.

MetLife’s Sustainability Function is responsible for coordinating the sustainability strategy across MetLife. The function consists of staff dedicated to ESG strategy management and reporting. The team is overseen by MetLife’s Head of Corporate Affairs, who reports directly to the CEO. The Sustainability function reports regularly to the Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee of the Board of Directors. The Sustainability group has responsibilities relating to, among other things:

• MetLife’s sustainability strategy, commitments, policies and key performance indicators;
• MetLife’s annual sustainability report;
• MetLife’s index of disclosures aligned to key reporting frameworks, including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD); and
• MetLife’s monitoring and managing of material ESG issues.

Board of Directors

The Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee (Committee) meets at least three times each year and makes regular reports to the Board of Directors about the Committee’s activities. The Committee is tasked with various responsibilities, including oversight of MetLife’s:

• Compliance responsibilities and activities, including our legislative and regulatory initiatives, sales practices, and ethics and compliance programs;
• Policies concerning our corporate citizenship programs, including activities related to sustainability, environmental stewardship, diversity and inclusion, human rights, and corporate social responsibility; and
• Development and recommendations to the Board for adoption of corporate governance guidelines applicable to MetLife.
  

Learn more in our 2020 Sustainability Report >