St. Paul, Minn.-based The Travelers insurance company said ithas joined the U.S. Green Building Council to expand its commitmentto support both the company's and customers' actions towardenvironmentally responsible practices.

“In joining the USGBC, Travelers looks forward to utilizing theresources and intellectual capacity of the organization and itsmember companies to continue to support our innovative, companywideinitiatives that support environmentally responsible business andpersonal life style practices,” Marlyss Gage, senior vice presidentof enterprise underwriting at Travelers, said in a statement.

The company said that over the course of the past few years ithas enhanced existing and developed new products and services toencourage environmentally friendly behavior.

These initiatives include:

o Green Building Coverage Enhancement for midsize businesses,which responds to the unique coverage issues of green buildings andprovides for the additional costs to upgrade to green buildingmaterials and systems following a loss.

o Discounts on insurance for drivers of hybrid vehicles andelectric boats, providing incentives for individuals to minimizetheir impact on the environment.

o New generation boiler and machinery product coverage thatprovides for the replacement of damaged equipment with equipmentthat improves the environment, increases efficiency or enhancessafety.

o Customized coverage for the specific needs of wind farms,called WindPak, which includes wind turbine generating units andrelated transformers.

The USGBC is composed of more than 15,000 organizations fromacross the building industry that are working to advance structuresthat are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy placesto live and work.