AFL AFLAC Inc

COLUMBUS, Ga., Oct. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the number one provider of supplemental insurance in the United States, announced today that the company has vaulted to Number 67 on Newsweek's Green Ranking of 500 U.S. companies, up from 167 last year and 234 in 2009. In addition, Aflac cracked the Top 10 in the Financial Industry category, in which more than 50 companies were surveyed.

"The move to sustainability has helped the company in terms of stewardship of the environment, as well as with business-enhancing cost reductions," said Paul S. Amos II, president and chief operating officer of Aflac. "Aflac continues to develop strategies designed to encourage new policyholders to accept policies via email, rather than paper, which have helped significantly reduce annual paper use while creating savings related to printing, postage and other expenses."

According to Newsweek, to produce the 2011 Green Rankings, Newsweek collaborated with leading environmental research providers 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) by revenue (most recent fiscal year), market capitalization and number of employees as of June 30, 2011.

"We are extremely pleased that Aflac's position as a green company continues to rise among the 500 largest American companies," Aflac Vice President of Facilities and Employee Green Committee Chair Alfred Blackmar said. "The dedication of our board of directors, our employee-based Green Committee, and all of Aflac's 4,300 employees has helped us stand out as a great steward of our environment and a socially responsible company."

Further emphasizing Aflac's commitment to the community, in 2011 Aflac completed its initial survey for inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and gained membership as a sustainability leader in the North American category.

ABOUT AFLAC

When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For more than 55 years, Aflac insurance policies have helped provide a safety net and 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 insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For five consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies and by Forbes magazine as one of America's Best-Managed Companies in the Insurance category. In 2011, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 13th consecutive year. Also, Fortune magazine included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 10th time in 2011. 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 aflacenespanol.com.

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SOURCE Aflac