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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

ClimateWise

 


Representing a growing global network of leading insurance industry organisations, ClimateWise helps to align its members’ expertise to directly support society as it responds to the risks and opportunities of climate change.

ClimateWise, as part of the Centre for Sustainable Finance, is uniquely placed to bring together the insurance industry and related organisations with world class academic expertise and global sustainability leaders to collectively and innovatively tackle climate change. 

Decisions and positions of the group do not represent the policies or positions of CISL or of the wider University of Cambridge.

Areas of focus


Disclosure

ClimateWise members are required to annually disclose their firm’s response to climate change through the ClimateWise Principles framework. Member reports are independently assessed, scored and benchmarked as a means to track and incentivise progress year on year. A
collective public review is published each
year which serves to inform regulators and broader financial markets on the insurance industry’s response to climate change.

Research

ClimateWise undertakes impact-orientated, collaborative research to help insurers and the wider financial sector proactively
respond to the risks and opportunities
posed by climate change. Three core
themes focus on the industry’s leadership, regulation and climate-risk.

 

Convening

ClimateWise membership is open to all (re)insurers, brokers and other insurance industry service providers globally who are leaders, or aspire to play a leadership role, in supporting the insurance industry respond to the risks and opportunities of climate change.

The Insurance Advisory Council is comprised of C-suite executives from across ClimateWise’s membership base. 

 
 

"ClimateWise is an important initiative, assisting the insurance industry in its important role to build societal resilience. Insurers have unique insights into the risks that the world is facing and the ClimateWise Principles provide guidance to share this knowledge more broadly; so informing public policy and supporting the identification, understanding and management of climate risk. Through decisive action, insurance companies can facilitate the transition a low-carbon economy that is resilient to a changing climate, while reducing the climate risk protection gap."

Anna Sweeney, Chair of the Sustainable Insurance Forum and Executive Director, Insurance, Bank of England

 

Meet the team


Sid Miller

Programme Director

Dr Nina Seega

Director,
Centre for Sustainable Finance

 
 

Natalie Thompson

Project Manager

Laura Deltenre

Senior Project Manager

 
 

Stephane Rad

Project Co-ordinator

 

 

Latest

The ClimateWise Principles Independent Review for 2021

14 January 2022

20 January 2022 – The ClimateWise Principles Independent Review for 2021 sees scores continue to increase across the membership.

Climate Tango: Principles for integrating physical and transition climate-risk assessment with sectoral examples

10 January 2022

13 January 2022 – The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership’s (CISL) ClimateWise leads paper on integrating climate-related risk assessment.

Insurance industry must align to Paris Agreement, starting now

8 December 2021

20 December 2021 - Bronwyn Clare, Senior Programme Manager for ClimateWise at CISL, argues that partnership between an insurer and their clients on net zero aligned underwriting is critical to a smooth net zero transition for both.

Insurers in Paris-aligned climate transition: Practical actions towards net zero underwriting

8 December 2021

13 December 2021 – The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership’s (CISL) ClimateWise initiative has published a new report on net zero underwriting commitment and the practical actions.

Risk Sharing in the Climate Emergency: Financial regulation for a resilient, net zero, just transition

28 October 2021

November 2021 – The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) launches a call to action at COP 26 finance day urging policymakers, financial regulators and industry to expand risk sharing systems at scale to tackle the Climate Emergency.

Climate product innovation within the insurance sector

30 June 2021

30 June 2021 – The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership’s (CISL) ClimateWise initiative has published a new white paper on climate product innovation.

Policy opportunities on the road to net zero underwriting: Highlighting three key areas of influence for the insurance industry

1 March 2021

This paper from ClimateWise highlights the role of insurance underwriting in mitigating climate risks and supporting the transition to a resilient net zero economy.

ClimateWise annual review highlights insurance sector's role in shaping resilience to climate change

8 February 2021

17 February 2021 – The ClimateWise Principles Review indicates significant improvement in climate-related disclosure of insurers and highlights sector’s vital role in shaping resilience to climate change.

ClimateWise Principles Independent Review 2020

22 January 2021

17 February 2021 – The ClimateWise Principles Independent Review for 2020 has seen record improvement in scores across the ClimateWise membership.

ClimateWise publish their annual Principles review

13 December 2019

18 December 2019 – This year’s ClimateWise Principles Review is the first since the framework was aligned with the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and reflects the ambition of our members to be accountable on their climate response.