Reinsurance and Climate Change

Reinsurers insure direct insurers against excess losses by diversifying risks across the globe and thus spreading direct non-life and life insurance. Recently, this economic background function has come to the fore of media attention as the rise in reinsurance premiums and even retreat from markets too exposed to climate change has made entire areas and branches uninsurable. Due to their global focus on excess losses, reinsurers have been in a unique position to document and be subjected to climate catastrophes, while they themselves have become increasingly intertwined with capital markets through catastrophe bonds and financial investments. This workshop looks to bring together scholars from different disciplines (including history, political science, economics, sociology, geography) to foster dialogue about the reinsurance industry in the context of climate change.

Organizers: Nils Röper, Sebastian Kohl

Confirmed participants:

Robin Pearson (Hull University)

Nils-Vieggo Haueter (Swiss Re)

Leigh Johnson (University of Oregon)

Waltraut Schelkle (EUI Florence, LSE)

Turo-Kimmo Lehtonen (Tampere University)

Lawrence Barry (PARI)

Sönke Hebing (RWTH Aachen)

Eleonora Rohland (Bielefeld University)