MCII's activities at the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference 2012 in Doha

The Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII) participated in several activities during the UN Climate Change Conference 2012 in Doha:

26. November

Pioneering study shows evidence of loss & damage today from the front lines of climate change: Vulnerable communities beyond adaptation?

For the world’s most vulnerable communities, loss and damage due to climate change is already a reality now. A new report looks beyond adaptation and draws evidence of loss and damage from five case studies conducted in Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Gambia, Kenya, and Micronesia. The results will be launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha/Qatar. The findings are based on nearly 1800 household interviews and 200 focus group and expert discussions.

When:
Monday, 26th November 2012, 13:15 to 14:45 h

Where:
Side event Room 8, Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha

Who:

  • Dr. Koko Warner, Scientific director, CDKN Loss and Damage in Vulnerable Countries Initiative, UN University
  • Dr. Golam Rabbani, Research Fellow, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS)
  • Dr. Norbu Wangdi, Department of Water Resources, Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment
  • Dr. Sidat Yaffa, Assistant Professor, School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of the Gambia
  • Mr. Simpson Abraham, National Coordinator, Federal States of Micronesia Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC)
  • Mr. Sven Harmeling, Team Leader, International Climate Policy, Germanwatch
  • Moderated by: Professor Atiq Rahman, Director of Bangladesh Center for Advanced Studies (BCAS)

This event is connected to the Loss & Damage in Vulnerable Countries Initiative

27. November

New loss and damage report shows loss and damage to communities despite coping and adaptation

For the world’s most vulnerable communities, loss and damage due to climate change is already a reality now. A new report looks beyond adaptation and draws evidence of loss and damage from five case studies conducted in Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Gambia, Kenya, and Micronesia. The results will be launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha/Qatar. The findings are based on nearly 1800 household interviews and 200 focus group and expert discussions.

When:
Tuesday, 27th November 2012, 9:30 to 10:30 h

Where:
Press Conference Room 2, Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha

Who:

  • Dr. Koko Warner, Scientific director, CDKN Loss and Damage in Vulnerable Countries Initiative, UN University in Bonn
  • Mr. Pa Ousman Jarju, Pa Ousman Jarju, Chair of the Least Developed Countries Group in the UNFCCC negotiations
  • Dr. Saleemul Huq, Senior Fellow, ICCCAD

The following information will be made available under EMBARGO (27.11.2012, 6 pm CET)

  • Policy report with case study findings and policy reflections (Full Report and Exec Summary)
  • Press release
  • Fact sheet (for media)
  • Background / primer paper on loss and damage (Kreft et al.)

This event is connected to the Loss & Damage in Vulnerable Countries Initiative

29. November

Implementing Climate Risk Insurance: Helping the Vulnerable to Manage Climate Change-Related Loss and Damage

When:
29 November 2012, 18:30-20:00

Location:
Side Event Room 5 (QNCC)

Panel:
MCII, German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) Africa Risk Capacity (ARC), World Food Programme (WFP), Swiss Re.

Description:
In the last three decades, a general upward trend has been recorded for frequencies of weather-related loss events which is detectable in rich economies as well as in poorer economies. Hurricane Sandy has recently proven this fact by affecting both developing and developed countries alike and has emphasized yet again that the challenge of addressing both the impacts of weather extremes and incremental change is daunting. The need is therefore greater than ever to incorporate pro-active planning and management of climate-related stressors in decision making now and in the future by avoiding, reducing and sharing the risks imposed by climate change.Insurance-related approaches are designed for managing losses and damages caused by events which cannot be foreseen where and when they occur. Those tools can help manage loss and damage from weather extremes as part of a wider risk management framework in ways that bolster rather than diminish efforts to achieve climate resilient development and MCII tries to inform the discussion around the topic of how to effectively address climate change-related loss & damage by highlighting the following key topics in its side event:

1. Outlining the potential roles of insurance in managing loss and damage due to climate change and giving recommendations for the role of the Convention;

2. Presenting innovative ways to set up climate risk insurance solutions to better manage climate change-related loss & damage;

3. Sharing expert views from both the public and private sectors on lessons learned from the local, national and international level.

Panel:

  • Christoph Bals (Germanwatch) – THE IMPORTANCE OF ADDRESSING LOSS & DAMAGE AND THE ROLE OF INSURANCE AS A USEFUL TOOL.
  • Norbert Gorißen (BMU) – INSURANCE SOLUTIONS AS AN ADAPTATION MEASURE.
  • Richard Choularton (WFP) – BUILDING RESILIENCE WITH LOCAL INSURANCE AND SAFETY NETS: HOW INSURANCE CAN INCENTIVIZE LOSS REDUCTION AND RESILIENCE-BUILDING ACTIVITIES.
  • Rhoda Rubaiza (ARC) – NATIONAL OWNERSHIP AND INCENTIVIZING DRR: HOW THE AFRICA RISK CAPACITY CONNECTS CONTINGENCY PLANNING WITH PARTICIPATION IN THE MULTI-NATIONAL INSURANCE POOL.
  • David Bresch (Swiss Re) – A ROLE FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR: REDUCING VOLATILITY AND CREATING CERTAINTY FOR DECISION MAKING.
  • Koko Warner (MCII and UNU-EHS) – RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CONVENTION ON HOW TO FEATURE INSURANCE IN A DECISION AT COP-18.

Audience Discussion and Q & A

01. December

 

A tour of loss and damage: What is it? Why is it important to be addressed and what comes next?

The group work session will be moderated by Koko Warner (MCII and UNU-EHS) and Simpson Abraham. Participants will explore the topic of loss and damage, the state of the debate within the climate negotiations and discuss potential next steps in addressing the issue. Experts from LDCs will reflect on research on loss and damage in Bangladesh, Bhutan, The Gambia, Kenya and Micronesia to support the discussion through new case study examples.

05. December

 

MCII Press Briefing at COP-18

New Risk Management Solutions: Global Climate Risk Insurance Facility Can Help Manage Weather-Related Loss & Damage

The frequency and magnitude of weather-related extreme events are increasing, according to the IPCC Special Report on Extreme Events. Because of differing exposures, vulnerabilities and coping capacities, the burden of loss and damage is not evenly distributed across the world: data from the 1980s onwards show that weather-related loss events have increased most in low income countries, by a factor of 6. Insurance-related approaches can help manage losses and damages caused by unforeseeable weather events (storms, droughts, floods, etc.) by spreading these among people and across time and also incentivize prevention measures. A new Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII) Policy Brief highlights four roles that insurance can play in a comprehensive climate risk management strategy, mandated by a COP decision on loss and damage here in Doha.

When:
Wednesday, 5 December 2012, 12:30 to 13:00 h

Where:
Press Conference Room 2 (QNCC)

Who:

  •     Prof. Dr. Peter Hoeppe, MCII Chairman, Head of Geo-Risks Research at Munich Re
  •     Mr. Christoph Bals, MCII Vice-Chairman, Policy Director of Germanwatch
  •     Mr. Thomas Loster, MCII board member, Chairman of Munich Re Foundation

Moderation:
Dr. Koko Warner, MCII Executive Director, UN University

Interview with Peter Höppe at the Climate Change Studio

Interview with Thomas Loster at the Climate Change Studio