CSAA, Aon and IDEO sponsor climate resiliency challenge

CSAA Insurance Group, IDEO and Aon have launched a Climate Resiliency Challenge aimed at finding innovative ways to combat climate-related disasters and help vulnerable communities at the frontline of extreme climate events. The Challenge is a competition where CSAA hopes to bring in proposals from  experts, climate tech startups, insurance and insurtech leaders, and activists that have ideas on climate-risk solutions, specifically for what they are calling frontline, or vulnerable, at-risk, communities. IDEO's platform will accept applications through July 10, and winners will be announced by August 1.

"Our CEO Tom Troy has said that for an insurer, the environmental aspect is critical," Debbie Brackeen, chief strategy and innovation officer at CSAA, wrote in an email to Digital Insurance. "It is a business imperative, given the role we play in helping policyholders who experience losses due to climate-related impacts. With increasing frequency and severity of wildfires, hurricanes and other weather events, it is incumbent on the industry to work to reduce the effects of climate change."

Recognizing the disproportionate vulnerability faced by "frontline" communities, which are often affected by extreme climate events but lack the necessary resources and political power to adequately respond, CSAA and its partners are aiming to address the urgent need for more effective strategies that can mitigate these impacts.

"This Challenge is not necessarily looking specifically for technology or insurance innovations – though we welcome those. We're excited to solicit and support innovative solutions of all kinds," writes Brackeen. "The Challenge is built around three themes that are meant to inspire thinking about where innovation can most benefit frontline communities."

Those three themes of prevention, preparedness and recovery are aimed to prepare communities for climate-related disasters, reduce or mitigate the effects of such events and enable effective recovery efforts. Applications will be assessed on how the solution aligns with any or all three of the Challenge's themes; evaluation criteria for each submission includes relevancy, novelty, impactfulness and equitability, and should be informed by the very frontline communities that face extreme climate risks. 

"With its focus on the themes of prevention, preparedness, and recovery, the Challenge links directly to CSAA's enduring purpose to help AAA Members prevent, prepare for and recover from life's uncertainties," Brackeen said. "We continuously challenge ourselves to find innovative and better ways to serve members and communities with care and compassion.

"Resilience is the ability to not only recover quickly from a crisis but to bounce back better – and even thrive," she said. "Our hope is to help build resiliency in the communities we serve. Our focus has been, and will continue to be, keeping communities safe from devastating wildfires, hurricanes, and severe weather events related to climate change. We believe protecting our planet from the hazards posed by climate change is an inherent responsibility, and therefore reflected in our sustainability goals. The drive and passion for action is driven by the executive leadership team and supported throughout the organization."