Auckland Future Fund (AFF) approves catastrophe bonds as part of target allocation
The Auckland Future Fund (AFF), a New Zealand based investment entity that was established in 2024 as part of Auckland Council’s long-term plan, can now add catastrophe bonds to its nascent portfolio as its governing board approved an investment policy that includes cat bonds as an allowable alternative asset class. The Auckland Future Fund (AFF) […]
ADB adds disaster risk and parametric insurance expertise with Cook hire from World Bank
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has hired Samantha Cook from the World Bank, who brings deep experience in disaster risk insurance arrangements, including parametric risk transfer and instruments such as catastrophe bonds. Samantha Cook has joined the Asian Development Bank (ADB) this month as Director, Disaster Risk Management and will be based in the Philippines. […]
Steady increase in Asian ILS transactions, regionally tailored cat bonds expected: Fitch
Asia is expected to see a steady and continuing increase in insurance-linked securities (ILS) activity, with regionally tailored catastrophe bonds likely to become more of a feature, as heightened climate awareness drives a need for risk transfer and reinsurance, Fitch Ratings has said. 2025 has not seen a particularly significant amount of Asian risk ceded […]
Parametric insurance, cat bonds & P3 critical for closing the protection gap: Aon’s Henderson
As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, closing the widening climate protection gap has never been more urgent. According to Elizabeth Henderson, Global Head of Climate Advisory at broker Aon, financial tools such as parametric insurance, catastrophe bonds, and public-private partnerships (P3) are critical towards building resilience and closing the gap. In a […]
Syria gets $7.9m payout from drought parametric policy
A parametric insurance policy has been triggered to provide relief to nearly 120,000 people in Syria after one of the country’s worst droughts in half a century, through an initiative funded by Humanity Insured as part of a wider public–private partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), the Global Shield Financing Facility, and support from […]
CEA reinsurance tower stable, but catastrophe bonds grow their share
Following the mid-year reinsurance renewals the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) now sees catastrophe bonds making up an even larger proportion of its more than $7.83 billion risk transfer tower, at over 33% of the limit provided. The earthquake insurer had shrunk its overall reinsurance tower through the last couple of years, but at the same […]
CEA reinsurance tower stable, but catastrophe bonds grow their share
Following the mid-year reinsurance renewals the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) now sees catastrophe bonds making up an even larger proportion of its more than $7.83 billion risk transfer tower, at over 33% of the limit provided. The earthquake insurer had shrunk its overall reinsurance tower through the last couple of years, but at the same […]
Three dominant trends revealed in record period of cat bond issuance: Pennay, Aon Securities
Three key dominant trends have been revealed following a record period of catastrophe bond issuance according to Richard Pennay, CEO, Aon Securities, the specialist investment banking and insurance-linked securities (ILS) broker-dealer unit of the global insurance and reinsurance broker. In its latest ILS annual report, Aon Securities found that 12-month catastrophe bond issuance over the […]
Philippines seeks enhanced climate-disaster risk transfer with Global Shield support
The government of the Philippines is aiming to secure enhanced climate-disaster risk financing and insurance capacity, with parametric structures likely to play a significant role, while Global Shield financing vehicles are expected to help fund the initiative. The Philippines Department of Finance (DOF) is collaborating with the Global Shield Secretariat and Institute for Climate and […]
Swiss Re’s Urs Baertschi calls for stronger collaboration to manage rising nat cat losses
Urs Baertschi, CEO of Property & Casualty Reinsurance at Swiss Re, recently shared his perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the insurance industry in 2025. Reflecting on his personal aversion to roller coasters, Baertschi compared the highs and lows of amusement rides to the unpredictability of the current risk landscape, noting that “those of […]