The ClimateWise Insurance Advisory Council is a group of C-suite executives drawn from across ClimateWise’s global membership base. They commission impact research into ways the insurance industry can support the zero carbon, climate-resilient transition.

Insurance is among the industries most affected by climate change due to what it insures and invests in. Consequently, insurers are keen to mitigate the risks of climate change. While many organisations have worked voluntarily, both individually and in leadership groups, a more co-ordinated response is required across the financial system. This requires a combination of industry leadership supported by cutting-edge research and analysis.

The Council’s purpose is therefore to draw on the University of Cambridge and its partners’ expertise to help strengthen the industry's response and inform regulators, policymakers and other stakeholders on how to promote more systematic responses to climate change across the financial system.

The Council was established in 2016 and is chaired by Maurice Tulloch, Chair of ClimateWise and Chairman, Global General Insurance, Aviva.

"The Council is designed to be a regular forum for the global insurance industry, and its regulators, to work together. It will address the growing gap between societal exposure to climate risk, on the one hand, and a corresponding reduction in societal access to commercial insurance cover on the other. With its emphasis on generating the evidence needed for change the Council will provide all stakeholders with the knowledge needed to further their own conversations in this crucial area."

Maurice Tulloch, Chair of ClimateWise and Chairman, Global General Insurance, Aviva

View the terms of reference for the ClimateWise Insurance Advisory Council.

For queries relating to the Council, please contact us.

Council members

Maurice Tulloch Chair of ClimateWise and Chairman, Global General Insurance, Aviva “The insurance industry has a collective responsibility to become more systemic in our response to climate risk across the global financial system and I’m delighted to chair the ClimateWise Insurance Advisory Council to drive this vision forward. The Council is designed to be a regular forum for the global insurance industry, and its regulators, to work together and I look forward to working with these industry leaders to tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead of us.”

Stephen Catlin Executive Deputy Chairman, XL Group plc “I hope my other roles as Chairman-elect of the International Insurance Society (IIS) and Chairman of the Insurance Development Forum (IDF) benefit the work of the Council as I can co-ordinate and align all organisations. I believe there is an urgent need to address the current misalignment between the need for sustainable investment activities, on the one hand, and a limiting regulatory environment on the other.”

Dominic Christian CEO, Aon UK Ltd and Executive Chairman of Aon Benfield “Aon has all too often seen the impact of weather-related events on individuals, families, communities and societies. Reinsurance plays a not inconsiderable part in mitigating the impact of Mother Nature, but still needs to do a better job in understanding more precisely the growing impact of climate change on clients across the Globe.”

Rowan Douglas CEO for Capital, Science and Policy Practice, Willis Towers Watson “There is growing recognition of the critical role that insurance and its related capabilities play: from science and modelling, to disaster reduction and humanitarian responses, to building national and community resilience. A particular opportunity is to help regulators and other authorities from outside re/insurance learn about the hard-won lessons, and the approach towards disclosure and risk management that our sector has developed over the last two decades, to see how this might be applied more widely.”

Eric Drattell Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Risk Management Solutions (RMS) “I look forward to the opportunity to join this distinguished group to address the very real and present threats to our environment and to our industry.”

Jon Dye CEO, Allianz UK “As an industry that is both highly sensitive to extreme weather and a major institutional investor, we have a responsibility to anticipate the risks of climate change, care for customers who have to deal with the inevitable changes and enable the transition to a low carbon society.”

Scott Egan Chief Financial Officer, RSA Insurance Group “I am delighted to join the ClimateWise Insurance Advisory Council. Climate change and the role that the insurance industry can play to mitigate and adapt to changing environmental risks and opportunities is something I feel strongly about. I look forward to working with the Council to accelerate action and drive behaviour change to ensure a smooth transition to a low carbon, resilient society.”

Huw Evans Director General, Association of British Insurers (ABI) “The ClimateWise Council offers a great opportunity to deepen regulators’ understanding and engagement with climate change.”

Charles Franks Group CEO, Tokio Marine Kiln “My interest in the Advisory Council is born of a belief that we all have a responsibility towards our planet, both in our business and personal lives. As an insurer we should look to deliver this responsibility through all the channels available to us.”

Alex Hindson Chief Risk Officer, ArgoGlobal “ArgoGlobal has determined that climate change is a key enterprise risk. We will therefore benefit from access to the Council to understand the direction and trends on climate governance in the insurance industry.”

Martyn Parker Chairman, Global Partnerships, Swiss Re “In my role as Chairman of Global Partnerships at Swiss Re, I have global responsibility for our public sector business development and for Microinsurance. Both represent a huge "Protection Gap" in terms of inadequate transfer of insurance risk to the insurance and capital markets. Climate change will likely increase that protection gap, and it is a threat we take seriously. We are therefore happy to contribute to the Insurance Advisory Council. ”

John Parry Chief Financial Officer, Lloyds “I firmly believe we can help society accept the risks of climate change as a given and immediate concern, and use our horizon scanning and understanding of risk to devote resource to loss resilience. I want to drive global responses now, not when it is too late.”

Charles Philipps CEO, MS Amlin and Executive Officer, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI) Amlin “Our industry has an important role to play in helping the world address the impact and risk of global warning. I want to help shape the actions we can take to responsibly address both a reduction in carbon emissions and the risks faced by society.”

John Scott Chief Risk Officer, Zurich Insurance plc “Our commitment to the Climatewise Insurance Advisory Council, the Climate Risk Statement of the Geneva Association and through joining the Paris Pledge for Action, is to help policy makers fully understand the nature of climate change risks and identify opportunities to support system-wide responses to climate change.”

Steve Weinstein Group General Counsel and Chair, RenaissanceRe Risk Sciences Foundation, RenaissanceRe “We believe strongly to address the rising risks of climate related natural disasters, and to close the insurance protection gap, governments, regulators, academics, private sector firms and other leaders must collaborate. I am honoured to join the Council and further RenaissanceRe’s commitment to fostering partnerships amongst the insurance sector, regulators and policymakers worldwide, and the climate and resiliency communities.”

Ricard Wennerklint CEO, If P&C “If P&C has for more than 10 years been committed to the climate change topic, both through our own work and by motivating customers, partners and policymakers. Therefore we very much look forward to take part in the work by the ClimateWise Insurance Advisory Council.”