Our commitment to the United Nations

Many of our recent efforts to expand insurance protection cover losses from natural catastrophes and weather volatility (eg drought or excessive rainfall). As climate change is predicted to increase these losses, such transactions also help communities strengthen their climate resilience. Furthermore, we have found that partnering with public-sector clients, especially national and regional governments, is an effective way to develop solutions.

Building on these experiences, we made a significant commitment to the United Nations at its Climate Summit in September 2014. Personally addressing the government leaders present at the summit, our then Group CEO Michel M. Liès made the following pledge: “By the year 2020, Swiss Re commits to having advised 50 sovereigns and sub-sovereigns on climate risk resilience and to have offered them USD 10 billion against this risk.”

We have agreed with the United Nations to report publicly on the progress we make on this commitment. By the end of 2018, we had advised 96 sovereigns and sub-sovereigns on climate risk resilience and offered a total of USD 8.2 billion in re/insurance protection.