Ascot Group has expanded its US environmental insurance portfolio with the launch of Prime Propel, a combined contractors professional and environmental liability product aimed at the construction sector.
The coverage is structured to address both environmental liabilities and professional liabilities arising from acts, errors, or omissions.
The product is intended for general, trade, specialty, and artisan contractors, and is designed to address exposures encountered in construction projects where environmental and professional risks overlap.
“The product positions us to lean into the environmental construction market with innovative tools that enable us to deliver on our core mission to be a perfect partner for a less-than-perfect world,” Ascot SVP and head of US environmental Ted Mavraganis (pictured above) said.
The launch is part of Ascot’s broader environmental growth plan and supports its strategy to serve the construction industry with a range of specialty solutions. The company’s offerings include environmental and professional liability, excess casualty, monoline workers’ compensation, builders’ risk, and surety products.
The introduction of Prime Propel also follows other recent product developments by Ascot in the US market. In March, the company launched AscotEXEC, a management liability brand offering products such as directors and officers liability, employment practices liability, and fiduciary and crime coverage.
The launch of Ascot’s new environmental offering comes at a time when regulatory uncertainty is influencing how environmental liability coverage is underwritten. Shifts in federal and state environmental regulations, particularly changes in enforcement priorities between administrations, have added complexity to underwriting and risk pricing.
These shifts can also affect the predictability of claims, prompting carriers to implement more cautious approaches to policy limits and exclusions.
Another factor affecting environmental liability markets is the growing risk associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These “forever chemicals” are increasingly the subject of litigation and regulatory action due to their persistence in the environment and potential health impacts.
In the construction sector, PFAS can be present in certain coatings, sealants, and insulation materials, creating exposures that may trigger costly remediation and liability claims. As a result, some insurers have tightened coverage terms or excluded PFAS-related claims altogether, influencing how contractors and project owners approach risk transfer.
Environmental liability insurance is also expanding beyond its traditional focus on heavy industry. Renewable energy projects, advanced battery manufacturing, and carbon capture initiatives now present environmental risk profiles that require specialized underwriting.
This shift has broadened the market for combined liability products, with insurers adapting to new exposures that include the management of hazardous materials in emerging technologies and the environmental implications of large-scale infrastructure projects tied to the energy transition.
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