Events

Bridging the public-private divide on climate change

UNEP FI at the UNFCC 17th Conference of Parties (COP 17)
28 November – 9 December 2011 | Durban, South Africa

II. Mobilising the risk management skills of the insurance industry to address loss and damage from the impacts of climate change

As risk managers and risk carriers, the insurance industry is in the frontline when it comes to climate risks. The insurance industry has accumulated extensive experience and expertise in assessing, managing and pricing risks associated with weather events such as storms, floods and droughts.

However, climate change is intensifying climate risks, from increasing frequency and severity of storms, floods and droughts; to sea level rise, water scarcity, crop failures and risks to human health. Further, the risk management and risk transfer products and services of the insurance industry generally remain inaccessible to those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change: low-income communities, particularly in developing countries.

At the 2011 Durban Conference, UNEP FI and partnering organizations sought to advance the implementation of the ‘Cancun Agreements,’ forged at the 2010 UN Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico. Within the Cancun Agreements is the ‘Cancun Adaptation Framework,’ which has set in motion a process to develop a work programme that will address loss and damages due to the adverse effects of climate change. The Cancun Adaptation Framework now provides a golden opportunity to catalyse global insurance industry input on the development of the UNFCCC work programme on loss and damage, which could lead to the incorporation of risk management and risk transfer elements into the next international climate change regime.

Adapting to climate change key in building climate-resilient communities

UNEP FI Impact on the Loss & Damage Work Programme under the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) (PDF: 60KB)

UNEP FI / Santam / ClimateWise event, on

Climate risk adaptation: Needed and possible -
A dialogue on how governments and the insurance industry can work together in building climate-resilient communities

Venue: Square Boutique Hotel, 250 Umhlanga Rocks Drive, La Lucia ridge, Durban, South Africa

Date and time: Friday, 2 December 2011, from 17:00 to 19:00

Keynote speaker

Amina Mohamed, UNEP Deputy Executive Director & UN Assistant-Secretary-General (tbc)

Moderator

Rowan Douglas, CEO Global Analytics, Willis Re & Chairman, Willis Research Network

Panel

• Boniface T.Chiwota, Executive Manager, Underwriting Management, Munich Reinsurance Company of Africa
• John Melville, Executive Head of Risk Services, Santam
• Senior UNFCCC negotiator on adaptation from a developing country
• Senior representative from South African government agency in charge of disaster risk reduction
• Joanne Yawitch, CEO, National Business Initiative of South Africa (former Deputy Director-General of Climate Change at the Department of Environmental Affairs)

Presenters

• Remco Fischer, Programme Officer, Climate Change, UNEP Finance Initiative --- UNEP FI global insurance survey on climate change adaptation
• David Bresch, Head, Sustainability & Emerging Risk Management, Swiss Re ---- ClimateWise study on public-private partnerships
• Deon Nel, Head, Biodiversity, WWF SouthAfrica ---- Santam, WWF, University of Cape Town and UNEP FI study on risk and resilience in the Eden Community in South Africa

Contact

Kira Gaza
climate@unepfi.org