Reinsurance News
climate risk
Climate risk related insurance and reinsurance news and analysis.
The impacts of climate related risks are a key topic for the insurance and reinsurance industry, while providing risk transfer solutions to hedge against and protect from climate risk related losses is an important area of innovation for the market.
Zurich commits to UN climate pledge, plans to lower fossil fuel exposure
25th June 2019
Zurich Insurance Group has committed to setting new climate targets in line with the framework of the UN Global Compact Business Ambition Pledge, which aims to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5°C. As part of its commitment, Zurich will expand its existing thermal coal policy by engaging with clients ... Read the full article
Nephila’s Schauble appeals for more climate action using new products & data
19th June 2019
Barney Schauble, Managing Principle at Nephila Advisors, has urged the re/insurance industry to utilise new products and data in tackling the risks posed by climate change, which he believes are not being adequately addressed. Speaking at the MMC Rising Professionals’ Global Forum, Schauble argued that, with the success of the capital ... Read the full article
Climate action needed to limit fallout for life re/insurers: Swiss Re
17th June 2019
Unless further action is taken, the effects of climate change are likely to have “significant consequences” for life and health re/insurers, who will have to deal with increase risks from heatwaves, floods, droughts, fires and vector-borne diseases. This is according to a new report from Swiss Re, which linked climate change ... Read the full article
Munich Re CEO calls for higher price on carbon emissions
10th June 2019
Joachim Wenning, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at reinsurer Munich Re, has urged European policymakers to increase the cost of emitting carbon, according to reports from the Financial Times. Wenning believes that such a move would create financial incentives to accelerate the switch from fossil fuels to renewables, thereby helping to limit ... Read the full article
Warmer climate is driving higher re/insurance costs: Swiss Re report
16th May 2019
Rising global temperatures due to climate change have heightened the risk of costly events such as wildfire and drought and significantly impacted the level of re/insurance industry losses in recent years, according to the latest sigma report by Swiss Re. Swiss Re expects that climate change will cause more frequent occurrences ... Read the full article
Climate factors to be “fully integrated” into SCOR’s new strategy: Denis Kessler
30th April 2019
French reinsurer SCOR intends to “fully integrate” a range of climate risk management approaches into its next strategic plan, according to Chairman & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Denis Kessler. Kessler’s comments came alongside the announcement of SCOR's commitment to more stringent underwriting exclusions for coal-based businesses, which climate activist group ... Read the full article
SCOR & AXA commit to more coal exclusions
26th April 2019
French re/insurers SCOR and AXA have both committed to strengthening their coal exclusion policies in an effort to limit the effects of climate change, according to environmental campaigners at Unfriend Coal. A representative from the activist group questioned the companies at their annual general meetings this week, who both claimed to ... Read the full article
Hannover Re to restrict underwriting for coal-based risks
18th April 2019
Hannover Re has announced that it plans to adopt a more restrictive underwriting policy for the reinsurance of coal-based risks in order to help combat climate change. As a general principle, the reinsurer will not provide coverage for any planned new coal-fired power plants or coal mines, and aims to no ... Read the full article
Wildfire premiums could become a “social issue”: Munich Re climatologist
8th April 2019
Raising premiums in response to the increasing frequency and severity of wildfire losses could become a “social issue,” making cover unaffordable for ordinary people, according to Ernst Rauch, Chief Climatologist at Munich Re. Speaking with the Guardian, Rauch said: “If the risk from wildfires, flooding, storms or hail is increasing then ... Read the full article
QBE to phase out thermal coal exposure in climate action push
2nd April 2019
Global re/insurer QBE Insurance Group has announced that it plans to stop insuring thermal coal projects as part of its recently implemented climate plan to mitigate the effects of global warming. CEO Patrick Regan explained that from 1 July 2019, QBE will exclude any new direct insurance services for new construction ... Read the full article
Physical & economic impacts of climate change are accelerating: WMO study
29th March 2019
The physical signs and socio-economic impacts of climate change are accelerating as record greenhouse gas levels drive global temperatures towards increasingly dangerous levels, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The WMO’s study on the state of the global climate in 2018 highlighted record sea level rise, ... Read the full article
Bank of England to implement new climate risk standards
25th March 2019
The Bank of England is preparing to release a new set of rules on how it expects re/insurers and banks to manage the financial risks from climate change, according to Governor Mark Carney. In a statement on Thursday, Carney acknowledged that “insurers and reinsurers are on the front line of managing ... Read the full article
Australian regulator calls for stricter climate risk management practices
22nd March 2019
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) intends to increase its scrutiny of the way re/insurers manage the financial risks of climate change on their business. The regulator called on re/insurers, as well as banks and superannuation trustees, to move from gaining awareness of the financial risks to taking action to mitigate ... Read the full article
MS&AD, QBE and Nephila among investors of climate data startup Jupiter
21st March 2019
Mitsui MS&AD, QBE and Nephila are among the Series B investors of predictive data and analytics startup Jupiter. Founded in 2017, Jupiter announced recently that its Series B round of funding raised $23 million and stated the money would be put to work further expanding its climate risk-centred business. “Influential investors from ... Read the full article
Insurers join with UK regulators to address financial risks of climate change
13th March 2019
Several insurers joined the UK’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) last week to develop responses to the financial risks of climate change at the first meeting of the Climate Financial Risk Forum (CFRF). Representatives from Aviva, Legal & General, Lloyd’s of London, RSA Insurance Group, and Zurich ... Read the full article
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