Insurers, non-profits join forces on building resilient cities

A group of non-profit and industry organizations have launched a new set of resources that identifies priorities for the insurance industry and cities to build resilience against climate change.

“The Building Climate Resilience in Cities” resources were developed through a series of workshops in 2012 and 2013 in the United States and Canada, which included participation from more than 150 insurance industry executives, developers, city leaders and other stakeholders in Boston, San Diego and Toronto.

Aviva Canada, The Co-operators Group and Swiss Re were among the property and casualty participants in the process.

The effort was driven by U.S. non-profit Ceres, which focuses on sustainable business issues and ClimateWise, part of the University of Cambridge, a global insurance industry leadership group focused on climate risk issues.

ICLEI, a global network of more than 1,000 local governments leading on sustainability and resilience issues, also helped convene city stakeholders.

“A well integrated cross-sectoral approach will be critical to effectively manage the growing risks facing our climate-vulnerable cities in the decades ahead,” Kathy Bardswick, president and CEO of The Co-operators noted in a statement.

“The challenge of harnessing the expertise and resources of various stakeholders, and catalyzing a collective response to better protect our societal and economic interests is no small undertaking. But through innovation and collaboration, we can succeed in building more resilient cities that serve as an engine for sustainable development for this and future generations.”