Sun Life planting the seeds for more paperless claims

Canadians support greener claims option from industry leader

TORONTO, July 22 /CNW/ - Sun Life Financial recently concluded a two-month campaign to educate clients about the benefits of reducing paper use in the claims process. Between May 3 and June 27, 2010, over 50,000 Group Benefits plan members registered for direct deposit and paperless claim statements, furthering Sun Life's success in corporate sustainability practices.

Sun Life Financial is a leader in online claims, and for over a decade has offered this service to clients across Canada. To date, nearly 600,000 Canadians are registered for paperless claim statements with their Sun Life group benefits plan.

"As a company concerned about the health and well-being of Canadians, we know it's important to pursue environmentally friendly business practices that make it easy for clients to do business with us, as well as decrease our corporate carbon footprint," said Stuart Monteith, Senior Vice-President, Group Benefits, Sun Life Financial Canada. "At Sun Life, we feel it's our responsibility to contribute to providing a better quality of life for current and future generations."

In recognition of the plan members who registered for paperless claim statements during the campaign, Sun Life Financial has partnered with Tree Canada, a charitable, not-for-profit organization that provides education, technical assistance, resources, and financial support to plant and care for trees.

• In support of Tree Canada, Sun Life Financial is donating one dollar for every plan member that registered during the campaign, totaling more than $50,000 that will fund the planting and maintenance of 12,580 new trees.
• Through paperless claim statements, Sun Life will help save 240 trees, or 19,200,000 pieces of paper, per year - that's roughly 3.5 times the height of the CN Tower.

"Tree Canada creates opportunities for individuals and groups to contribute to the welfare of our natural environment," said Michael Rosen, President, Tree Canada. "Protecting, improving, and contributing to our environment is essential if we wish to preserve our world for future generations. It is through a dedicated commitment to sustainability by organizations like Sun Life Financial that we are able to work towards improving quality of life in Canada."

Further innovations in claims technology - including the ability for plan members to submit their medical and dental claims online for instant processing - provide faster, easier, and more paperless claiming options for plan members. This additional capability has allowed Sun Life Financial to increase its sustainability efforts and lessen its environmental impact, which has been well-received by plan sponsors and plan members alike.

Canadians are demanding that corporations become more environmentally friendly, and Sun Life's dedication to sustainability is a priority in many areas of its operations. Continued investment in the online claims experience is just one example of Sun Life's commitment to sustainability and client satisfaction.

In 2010, Sun Life Financial also received prominent recognition for its sustainability initiatives:

• Ranked as one of the 2010 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, the only life insurance company in North America on the list.
• Ranked #5 (highest among financial services companies) in the Globe and Mail Report on Corporate Social Responsibility.
• Ranked as one of the Corporate Knights Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada.
• Named one of the Jantzi-Maclean's 50 Most Socially Responsible Corporations 2010.

About Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth accumulation products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Chartered in 1865, Sun Life Financial and its partners today have operations in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China and Bermuda. As of March 31, 2010, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $435 billion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Note to Editors: All figures in Canadian dollars.