Fenchurch Group Holdings, a specialist insurance group, has entered into a 50:50 joint venture with Meliora ESG Ltd, an environmental advisory firm, to bring environmental risk analysis and insurance provision together.
The arrangement follows an equity investment in Meliora ESG by Fenchurch Group Holdings, Paul Chainey and Jamie Coyne, with the transaction completed on 4 September 2026.
The partnership combines Meliora ESG’s expertise in environmental assessment and advisory services with Fenchurch Insurance Brokers’ established experience in construction and Environmental Impairment Liability (EIL) insurance. The companies intend to provide businesses with a more integrated approach to identifying environmental exposures, estimating potential costs and arranging appropriate insurance protection.
Meliora ESG evaluates environmental risks and translates its findings into financial estimates to help organisations understand their potential liabilities.
Its capabilities span environmental underwriting, ecosystem restoration, geographic information systems (GIS) and regulatory analysis. This enables businesses to assess the likely financial consequences of environmental obligations and factor them into their financial and operational planning.
According to Fenchurch, the joint venture expands its ability to provide EIL insurance by incorporating environmental assessment into the insurance process. Meliora ESG will assess individual sites and estimate potential liabilities, including the costs of remediation, claims from third parties and compliance with regulatory requirements. Fenchurch can then use these assessments to develop and arrange insurance cover that reflects the risks identified. Ongoing site monitoring will also help inform subsequent policy renewals as circumstances and available evidence change.
Jamie Coyne, Managing Director at Fenchurch, commented: “Our clients in waste and demolition live with environmental risk every day. Until now, assessing that risk and insuring it were two separate conversations with two separate firms. With Meliora, the people who understand the site sit alongside the people who place the cover.”
James Alexander, Founder of Meliora ESG, added “I’ve spent more than 25 years placing environmental risk, and the same problem keeps coming up. Businesses know they have environmental obligations, but they can’t see what those obligations will cost. Working with Fenchurch means we can take a client from the first site assessment right through to the policy.”
The joint venture will target organisations operating in waste management, agriculture, energy, forestry, real estate, logistics and environmental sustainability. Fenchurch and Meliora ESG aim to use site-specific evidence to inform insurance arrangements and help businesses better understand the financial implications of their environmental responsibilities.
The partnership also intends to support transactions involving property and business assets, where environmental liabilities can be a consideration for buyers, sellers and lenders. By providing financial assessments of potential liabilities alongside insurance options, Fenchurch and Meliora ESG aim to give transaction parties greater clarity when evaluating environmental risks and making commercial decisions.
