Climate Risk Podcast

Resilience and Retreat: What Insurability Tells Us About Climate Risk

Hear from Rowan Douglas CBE, CEO of Climate Risk and Resilience at Howden Group, as we explore the vital role of insurance in the climate transition. When we talk about climate resilience, insurance often flies under the radar. But it’s one of the oldest and most powerful tools we have for managing risk: pooling resources, spreading losses, and crucially, sending signals about where risk is growing too great to bear. That’s why in this episode, we explore the vital and evolving role of insurance in supporting climate resilience. We discuss: How insurance acts as both a safety net for businesses and communities, and a driver of risk reduction and adaptation; The concept of “insurability,” and what it reveals about our growing exposure to climate risk; and How these dynamics are playing out in the real world, through a case study of climate risks facing Europe’s agricultural sector. To find out more about the Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR®) Certificate, follow this link: https://www.garp.org/scr For more information on climate risk, visit GARP’s Global Sustainability and Climate Risk Resource Center: https://www.garp.org/sustainability-climate If you have any questions, thoughts, or feedback regarding this podcast series, we would love to hear from you at: climateriskpodcast@garp.com Links from today’s discussion: Ex-CEO of Allianz Investment Management Günther Thallinger - “The math breaks down” quote: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/climate-risk-insurance-future-capitalism-g%C3%BCnther-thallinger-smw5f/ GARP Natural Catastrophe Modelling Masterclass (for SCR® Certificate Holders): https://www.garp.org/scr/catastrophe-modeling-masterclass The Insurability Imperative: Using Insurance to Navigate the Climate Transition: https://www.howdengroup.com/uk-en/insurability-climate-report-2025 Insurance and Risk Management Tools for Agriculture in the EU: https://www.howdengroupholdings.com/news/eu-agriculture-faces-28-billion-annual-average-loss-from-extreme-weather Video summary of Insurance and Risk Management Tools for Agriculture in the EU report: https://www.fi-compass.eu/videos/interviews/insurance-and-access-finance-farm-resilience-and-adaptation-eu Speaker’s Bio Rowan Douglas CBE, CEO Climate Risk and Resilience, Howden Group Prior to joining Howden, Rowan held a number of senior roles at Willis Towers Watson, including as Head of their Climate and Resilience Hub, and also at Willis Re, where he was CEO of Global Analytics. Until recently, he was also Chair of the Operating Committee of the Insurance Development Forum, a role he began in 2015, which focused on driving resilience in communities, business, and public institutions through insurance. Rowan holds a Bachelor’s in Geography from Durham University, and an MPhil in Geographical Sciences from the University of Bristol.

Greening the Games: How Paris 2024 Delivered on Climate Ambition

Hear from Georgina Grenon, Director of Environmental Excellence for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as we explore what it truly means to put sustainability first. Turning climate ambition into reality is a complicated process. Sustainability often requires systemic change, which is precisely why it can be so challenging. That’s why in this episode, we’re hoping to inspire and encourage our audience with the story of the greening of one of the largest and most watched events in the world: the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We explore: How clear targets and innovative procurement strategies helped deliver on ambitious climate goals; Why systems-thinking and good governance were critical to aligning decisions with long-term objectives; And what risk professionals can learn from this experience to apply in their own organizations, particularly around resilience, efficiency, and driving change at scale. To find out more about the Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR®) Certificate, follow this link: https://www.garp.org/scr For more information on climate risk, visit GARP’s Global Sustainability and Climate Risk Resource Center: https://www.garp.org/sustainability-climate If you have any questions, thoughts, or feedback regarding this podcast series, we would love to hear from you at: climateriskpodcast@garp.com Speaker’s Bio Georgina Grenon, Director of Environmental Excellence, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Georgina has had a long and varied career in energy and sustainability across the public and private sectors. She began her career in oil and gas, before moving into renewable energy and innovation. She worked at the French Ministry of Ecology and Energy, where she supported the development of renewable energy policies and markets. She later became a Director at ENGIE Group, a French multinational electric utility company, before joining the Organizing Committee of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2018.

Why Food System Disruption Is the New Normal

Hear from Stephanie Race, Founder & CEO of Earth Analytics Group, as we dive into the connections between physical climate risk, the global food supply chain, and systemic financial risk. As climate impacts intensify - from wildfires to water scarcity - these risks are no longer distant. They’re material, and they’re here to stay. This is most evident in our food system, where disrupted crop yields, shifting growing regions, and stressed supply chains are becoming the new normal.  That’s why in this episode, we explore the vital and often overlooked links between climate change, food systems, and financial risk, including:  How biophysical shocks like drought, fire, and flooding are cascading through supply chains and challenging economic stability;  Why nature-based solutions are key to building real-world resilience - not just for farmers, but for the financial system as a whole;  And how risk professionals can lead the transition by rethinking how we value, insure, and invest in a changing world.  To find out more about the Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR®) Certificate, follow this link: https://www.garp.org/scr For more information on climate risk, visit GARP’s Global Sustainability and Climate Risk Resource Center: https://www.garp.org/sustainability-climate If you have any questions, thoughts, or feedback regarding this podcast series, we would love to hear from you at: climateriskpodcast@garp.com Links from today’s discussion: Earth Analytics Group homepage: https://www.earthanalyticsgroup.com/ DEFRA Stewardship Schemes: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/countryside-stewardship-get-funding-to-protect-and-improve-the-land-you-manage USDA NRCS Stewardship Program: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/csp-conservation-stewardship-program   Speaker’s Bio Stephanie Race, Founder & CEO, Earth Analytics Group Earth Analytics Group is a global environmental informatics firm, helping businesses adapt by integrating nature into financial decision-making.  Stephanie is a business leader, entrepreneur and scientist with over 30 years’ experience transforming global food and agriculture supply chains, and restoring ecosystems to balance nature, people and markets.  She previously held a number of senior roles, including as Partner at Accenture, leading the Analytics Practice for Food, Consumer Products & Retail.  

Beyond 1.5°C: How to Think About Our New Climate Reality

Hear from Laurie Laybourn, Executive Director of the Strategic Climate Risk Initiative, as we explore how climate risks change in a 1.5°C world. As we look increasingly certain to breach 1.5 degrees of warming, we are entering an era defined not just by extreme weather and policy uncertainty, but also by cascading disruptions, systemic instability, and the potential for tipping points in both the environment and society. That’s why in this episode, we take a hard look at how our understanding of climate risk needs to evolve. We explore: Why traditional climate risk frameworks may be missing a third, critical dimension, namely derailment risk; How scenario planning can help institutions prepare for destabilizing futures; And what risk professionals can do to improve climate risk assessments and build real resilience in the face of escalating shocks. To find out more about the Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR®) Certificate, follow this link: https://www.garp.org/scr For more information on climate risk, visit GARP’s Global Sustainability and Climate Risk Resource Center: https://www.garp.org/sustainability-climate If you have any questions, thoughts, or feedback regarding this podcast series, we would love to hear from you at: climateriskpodcast@garp.com Links from today’s discussion: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports: https://www.ipcc.ch/reports/ Strategic Climate Risk Initiative (SCRI) homepage: https://www.scri.org.uk/ Speaker’s Bio Laurie Laybourn, Executive Director of the Strategic Climate Risk Initiative Laurie is an award-winning researcher, policy advisor, writer and strategist. He is also an Associate Fellow at Chatham House and holds fellowships at the Institute for Public Policy Research and the Global Systems Institute, University of Exeter.

How to Make an Impact: Secrets to Climate Startup Success

Hear from Alyssa Gilbert, Director of Innovation at the Grantham Institute of Climate Change and the Environment, as we dive into the climate startup ecosystem. Innovation can provide powerful responses to environmental risks, from AI tools predicting the spread of wildfires in real time, to seaweed-based packaging replacing plastic at mass scale. But in fact, innovation means more than just inventing new technologies – it also means changing the ways we do business today, and helping connect these solutions with the people who can best make use of them. That’s why in today’s episode, we’re diving into the climate innovation ecosystem. We explore: The challenges and opportunities for early-stage climate startups, from scaling to securing investment; How business model innovation is just as crucial as new technology in creating real-world impact; and What risk professionals can do to engage with, and support, climate innovators. To find out more about the Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR®) Certificate, follow this link: https://www.garp.org/scr For more information on climate risk, visit GARP’s Global Sustainability and Climate Risk Resource Center: https://www.garp.org/sustainability-climate If you have any questions, thoughts, or feedback regarding this podcast series, we would love to hear from you at: climateriskpodcast@garp.com Links from today’s discussion: Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/grantham/ Undaunted: https://undaunted-hq.org/ Notpla - Sustainable Packaging Made from Seaweed: https://www.notpla.com/   Speaker’s Bio Alyssa Gilbert, Director of Innovation, Grantham Institute of Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London Alyssa leads a team focused on developing research, innovations, and talent to address environmental challenges. Alyssa played a key role in setting up the COP26 Universities Network to tackle climate change. Previously, she worked in policy design and evaluation services at Ecofys, covering areas like emissions trading, carbon pricing, and climate finance. Alyssa has extensive experience working on environmental and climate change issues in various countries and has a background in journalism and research.