Insurance 2030: Harnessing Insurance for Sustainable Development

Authors :
Butch Bacani, Jeremy McDaniels, Nick Robins
Organisation:
Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System (UN Environment Inquiry), United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI)

In its role as risk manager, risk carrier and investor, insurance is at the heart of a sustainable financial system. Initiatives to harness insurance for sustainable development are picking up momentum – and 2015 represents a critical opportunity to think ahead about the priorities for scaling up action. International milestones on disaster risk reduction, finance for development, new sustainable development goals and a new climate change agreement provide the context for strategic reflection on the policies and partnerships necessary to realise the full potential of insurance.

This report presents a suite of options that could strengthen the alignment between the insurance industry and sustainable development through to 2030. Insurance firms and regulators have identified a set of interlocking priorities for insurance looking forward to 2030, such as natural disasters, access to insurance, climate change, socio-economic disruptions and long-term investment.