This new white paper from the Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI) explores how the insurance industry can help catalyze resilience across the economy and support the transition from vulnerability to insurability. Developed by the PSI Adaptation & Resilience Working Group, the paper reflects the insights of approximately 30 organizations from across the insurance industry and broader stakeholder community, including representatives from the financial sector, real economy and public policy sphere, emphasizing that insurers cannot close the resilience gap alone.

A central theme of the paper is the reinforcing relationship between resilience, insurability and investment. Resilience helps sustain insurability; insurability supports access to finance, investment and economic activity; and investment enables further resilience-building. Conversely, rising losses and unmanaged risks can increase insurance costs, constrain access to coverage and finance, and further amplify vulnerability.

The paper presents a practical framework for how insurers can contribute to adaptation and resilience through six interconnected functions: quantifying and communicating climate risks; enabling risk reduction through risk engineering and advisory services; rewarding adaptation through underwriting; supporting the development and deployment of resilience solutions; carrying residual risks; and enabling more resilient recovery following disasters.

The report also positions insurability as a practical indicator of resilience outcomes, demonstrating how insurance can help bridge the gap between adaptation ambitions, financial decision-making, and real-world implementation. By helping make resilience more visible, measurable and actionable, insurers can play an important role in accelerating adaptation across the economy.

Launched at the flagship COP31 Global Sustainable Insurance Summit on 13-14 November 2026, the publication contributes to growing efforts to translate adaptation ambitions into implementation and strengthen resilience in a world facing increasing physical climate risks.