The Association of Insurers signs memorandum with Resilient Delta Initiative

 

 

 

The Resilient Delta Initiative and the Dutch Association of Insurers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement sets out their joint intention to develop knowledge on how and where to build and live in our low-lying Delta in a climate-adaptive way.

“Climate-adaptive building and knowledge about the right locations to build are hugely important to prevent and, where possible, reduce damage caused by extreme weather,” Richard Weurding stressed. He signed the memorandum on behalf of the Association as general director.

Weurding is convinced that merging scientific knowledge with insurers’ expertise on risk and damage is a step forward. “Climate change damage must remain insurable. Climate-adaptive solutions can enable, and where possible accelerate, future-proof construction.”

Major societal challenge

According to Arjan van Timmeren, scientific director of Resilient Delta Initiative, the collaboration fits seamlessly within the spatial development puzzle facing the Netherlands. Van Timmeren believes that society needs a collective approach to solving this challenge. This means building on the expertise of various academic disciplines as well as public and private parties.

“With this partnership, we aim to bring insurers, the broader financial sector and other key stakeholders to the table to unlock new insights. Our aim is to foster robust knowledge that meets shared, societal needs.”

The memorandum stems from a joint workshop with more than 25 industry experts. Together, they came up with ways to address climate risks for the low-lying Dutch delta. This resulted in a more organized partnership with an initial focus on climate-resilient building, spatial planning, financing, and insurability.

About the Resilient Delta Initiative (RDI)

To create solutions to the urgent and complex societal challenges of our time, TU Delft, Erasmus MC, and Erasmus University Rotterdam join forces within Convergence.

The Resilient Delta Initiative, part of Convergence, tackles major social issues in deltas through transdisciplinary research. This brings together knowledge from alpha, beta, and gamma sciences. This approach connects science with practice and links long-term solutions to short-term actions. By working closely with both the public and private sectors, the Resilient Delta Initiative aims to develop a future-proof delta.

About the Dutch Association of Insurers

The Dutch Association of Insurers represents the interests of private insurance companies operating in the Netherlands. The Association is an independent organization managed and financed by its members. More than 95 percent of all insurers in the Netherlands are represented through the Association as well as reinsurers, insurtechs, premium pension institutions, and companies involved with bank savings. The Association represents the interests of these members and responds to social developments. In this way the Association connects the insurance sector with society.

The Association of Insurers focuses on the question how insurers, in collaboration with society, can respond as best as possible to the changing climate, both on climate mitigation and climate adaptation. Scientific research can help understanding and dealing with climate change related challenges. Given the multitude and speed of developments in the field of climate change, the Association and its members have a need for knowledge creation and sharing in the field of spatial planning and climate adaptation.