Insuring Against Climate Change

This book provides one of the first systematic in-depth studies on regional catastrophe risk pools. It explores the various goals of these new financial instruments, illustrating how they function on a conceptual, technical and practical level, and reconstructs their political genesis. With climate-related disasters increasing in frequency and severity, Insuring Against Climate Change explores how affected countries, especially those in the Global South, have increasingly turned to innovative index insurance instruments, as demonstrated by the creation of the Caribbean Catastrophic Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), the African Risk Capacity (ARC) and the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative Facility (PCRAFI Facility). Scherer scrutinizes the formation of this trend, exploring comparatively the goals, characteristics and histories of these tools, and argues that their attractiveness rests more on political than economic benefits and is, in fact, more supply than demand-driven. Making a significant contribution to current debates on the opportunities and limitations of what are sometimes described as indirect ‘climate risk insurance’, this book will be of great interest to political scientists with an interest in insurance instruments and climate-related disaster management politics as well as to practitioners working in the insurance, finance and the development sectors.

Natural disasters such as large-scale flooding are on the increase. Climate change directly affects our basis of existence. This includes residential buildings, and commercial and industrial properties. The author highlights the requirements that will have to be met by a protection system for buildings in the future. Insurance against natural hazards lies at the heart of such a system. The insurance systems of Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland and the USA are presented. The author explains what type of insurance system is best suited to meet the challenge of climate change. The starting point of the legal section is statutory insurance with a monopoly. The question of whether such insurance is compatible with Swiss and EU law is examined. Keywords in this respect are economic freedom, competition, services of general interest and universal service.

"The insurance industry has found itself at the front line of climate change challenges, providing insurance cover in relation to risks associated with climate change. As risk carriers, insurers pay claims for climate change related losses - such as property damage caused by windstorms, flooding, and wildfires - which have been increasing in frequency and severity. As major institutional investors, insurance companies invest in assets that may be increasingly vulnerable to climate risks. Insurance regulators across the globe have therefore started to require insurance companies to identify, manage and report on climate change risks that could pose a threat to their financial stability. However, managing and reporting on the effect of climate risk on an insurer's balance sheet is an inward-looking perspective that does not stem climate change. It needs to be paired with an outward-looking perspective that takes account of the insurance industry's impact on the environment, and the insurance industry's capacity to influence what policyholders, investee enterprises and other business partners do to address climate change challenges. For the insurance industry, the key components of positive outward impact are "impact underwriting" and "impact investment". This book sets out the current legal and regulatory landscape for impact underwriting and impact investment. Whilst the focus of research and regulatory interventions to date has been on inward impact, in this book it will be argued that, to take positive climate action that supports the Paris Agreement goals and the national and international Net Zero targets, the debate should now move on to considering the positive outward impact the insurance industry can make, and how we can create a legal environment to facilitate this. The book puts forward the case for a new vision of the role of the insurance industry as climate action enablers and makes proposals for insurance products and risk transfer and loss resilience structures that can support policyholders in their transition to a Net Zero economy. The audience for this book will include legal practitioners, insurance industry professionals, financial and insurance regulators, policymakers and interested academics"--

The Impact of CLIMATE CHANGE and SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS on the INSURANCE MARKET The book explores the role of the insurance industry in contributing and responding to the harms that climate change has brought. This book delves into the physical and logical impacts, both direct and indirect, on the insurance industry. Subjects discussed include new technology such as big data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, the growth of sustainable economics with foreign direct investments (FDIs), trustworthiness, and ethics. Related use cases of data science for claim processing, fraud detection and prevention, policy administration, pricing, and underwriting are discussed along with cyber security issues, data protection, and big data regulatory reforms. To promote ESG sustainability, the insurance industry plays a critical and significant role. Climate-related risks are being factored into underwriting and investing strategies. Through their own operations and business activities, insurers may promote the ESG agenda and move towards sustainability. Also discussed are promoting diversity and inclusion, lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, resolving gender inequality, and helping communities through charitable work, which all improve a company’s brand, reputation, and ESG credentials. Audience The book is specially designed for administrators, lecturers, researchers, students of insurance and sustainability, students in financial services, insurance practitioners, actuaries, loss adjusters, underwriters, regulators, facilities management, utility companies, voluntary organizations, government departments, business leaders, policymakers, decision-makers, investors, risk managers, compliance managers, and audit managers amongst many others.

Weather-related events have cost the nation billions of dollars in damages over the past decade. Many of these losses are borne by private insurers & by two federal insurance programs -- the National Flood Insurance Program, which insures properties against flooding, & the Federal Crop Insurance Corp., which insures crops against drought or other weather disasters. The author was asked to: (1) describe how climate change may affect future weather-related losses; (2) determine past insured weather-related losses; & (3) determine what major private insurers & federal insurers are doing to prepare for potential increases in such losses. Includes recommendations. Charts & tables.

This book provides an authoritative insight on the Loss and Damage discourse by highlighting state-of-the-art research and policy linked to this discourse and articulating its multiple concepts, principles and methods. Written by leading researchers and practitioners, it identifies practical and evidence-based policy options to inform the discourse and climate negotiations. With climate-related risks on the rise and impacts being felt around the globe has come the recognition that climate mitigation and adaptation may not be enough to manage the effects from anthropogenic climate change. This recognition led to the creation of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage in 2013, a climate policy mechanism dedicated to dealing with climate-related effects in highly vulnerable countries that face severe constraints and limits to adaptation. Endorsed in 2015 by the Paris Agreement and effectively considered a third pillar of international climate policy, debate and research on Loss and Damage continues to gain enormous traction. Yet, concepts, methods and tools as well as directions for policy and implementation have remained contested and vague. Suitable for researchers, policy-advisors, practitioners and the interested public, the book furthermore: • discusses the political, legal, economic and institutional dimensions of the issue• highlights normative questions central to the discourse • provides a focus on climate risks and climate risk management. • presents salient case studies from around the world.

In recent years, the damage caused by natural disasters has increased worldwide; this trend will only continue with the impact of climate change. Despite this, the role for the most common mechanism for managing risk - insurance - has received little attention. This book considers the contribution that insurance arrangements can make to society's management of the risks of natural hazards in a changing climate. It also looks at the potential impacts of climate change on the insurance sector, and insurers' responses to climate change. The author combines theory with evidence from the rich experiences of the Netherlands together with examples from around the world. He recognises the role of the individual in preparing for disasters, as well as the difficulties individuals have in understanding and dealing with infrequent risks. Written in plain language, this book will appeal to researchers and policy-makers alike.

Climate change brings about a new set of major economic risks arising from changing weather patterns, extreme weather events and rising sea levels. Most at risk are developing countries who, despite considerable post-disaster donor aid, have been bearing the major brunt of disaster-related losses. One adaptation solution that is rapidly gaining the support of countries and international donors is a risk transfer to the global reinsurance and capital markets. This volume, a special issue of the journal Climate Policy, explores the role that insurance-based mechanisms can play in helping developing countries prepare for climate change. It offers a unique and comprehensive perspective on the potential role of insurance solutions in global adaptation to climate change and attempts to engender debate on the role of insurance in reducing global emissions and encouraging climate-friendly corporate behaviour.