1st Meeting of Climate & Catastrophic Events Working Party

The first meeting of the AIDA Climate Change Working Party took place on Thursday 26 May 2011 at the NH Barbizon Palace Hotel in Amsterdam on the occasion of the Third AIDA Europe Conference.

The Agenda for that meeting is below.

Presentations delivered at the meeting and/or papers submitted for the meeting or to which reference was made in the Agenda may were as follows:

"Impact of Climate Change and responses around the world"

Presentation by Chris Rodd, CGU Insurance, Melbourne: "Impact of Natural Disasters - Immediate and potential implications for the climate change insurance and legal landscape" (Australia)

Presentation by Dr María Silvia Moron Kavanagh, Lawyer, Buenos Aires: "Climate Change and its Impact on Agriculture in Argentina" (Argentina) (English and Spanish versions)

The following further papers or presentations were submitted or cited in this area:

Paper by Dr Rossana F Bril, Lawyer, Estudio Bril, Buenos Aires: "Mandatory Environmental Insurance - Environment Court Decisions - New Opportunities. New Challenges." (Argentina)

Paper by Dr Rossana F Bril and Felipe F Aguirre, Lawyers, Buenos Aires: "Climate Change and Agriculture Insurance" - delivered to CILA in Paraguay, April 2011 - (Argentina) (English and Spanish versions)

Paper by Dr Florencia Mangialardi, Lawyer, Estudio Mangialardi y Associados, Buenos Aires: "Defensive measures in Argentina" (Argentina)

Presentation by Richard Cook, Lawyer, Xchanging, London: " The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, Japan (11D)" - presented to BILA 20 May 2011 (UK)

Presentation by Daniel Saville, Lawyer, Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP, London: "The Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami - Legal Issues" - presented to BILA 20 May 2011 (UK)

"Climate Change Liability and Litigation"

Sample extracts of Columbia Law School Climate Change US & Non-US litigation charts can be found in the list of attachments below

"Carbon Insurance and other "new" products"

Presentation by Cedric Wells, Senior Legal & Claims Manager, SCOR P&C, Paris: "Carbon Credits & Insurance - Can Insurance address the current and future needs of the industries?" (France)

Dissertation by Cedric Wells, Paris delivered to ENASS in April 2011 and accepted with honours : " Carbon Credits & Insurance - Can Insurance address the current and future needs of the industries?" (France)

Note of presentation by Soren Theilgaard, Head of Legal Scandinavia, Chartis Europe : "New Products, developments since May 2010" (Denmark)

It may be noted that representatives from over 20 countries registered for the first meeting. 

It was resolved that Stijn Franken should assume the role as Secretary to the Working Party.

Future work projects should be explored and settled with timetables initially it is proposed in accordance with four principal work areas as follows: 1) Impact of Climate Change and responses around the world ; 2) Climate Change Liability and Litigation; 3)  Carbon Insurance and other "new" products ; and 4) Reinsurance/ART/funding for weather/carbon-market risks and regulatory treatment. 

Other areas of priority were agreed as being:

• settling of work area project topics, targets and timetables;
• recruitment of further members and the appointment of work area leaders;
• future regular publication of collected materials from work area activities;
• collaboration with other groups/activities/events (inc. of other AIDA Working Parties); and
• utilisation of the Climate Change Working Party page of the AIDA website for both the collection of materials and for the dissemination of useful information between members.

The full Minutes of that meeting are below.