IUA Circular 058/26
IUA Climate Risk & Sustainability Committee
presents
"Using climate signals to navigate an uncertain hurricane season"
with guests speakers from:
Maximum Information
Tom Philp, CEO and Giacomo Favaron, Chief Technology Officer
Event Chair: May El Mantawy, Public Policy Technician, IUA
This event will be REMOTE only.
Date: Tuesday 14 July 2026
Time: Session to commence at 16:00hrs/4.00pm for 1 hour (London/UK time)
Connections details: Please click here
Subject: This IUA market briefing covers the rapidly evolving landscape of storm risk as of May 2026. Key insights regarding the changing nature of storms, damage potential, and monitoring strategies including which perils are experiencing the greatest impact.
Please note that registration will close 24hrs before the event date for logistical purposes or sooner if event is full*.
A courtesy reminder will be emailed to all registered delegates prior to the date of the event.
(*in-person session only)
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Deborah Finch, IUA Events Manager, click here
Annalise Gandy, Events Assistant, click here
As the North Atlantic hurricane season progresses, insurers once again face a familiar challenge: understanding what emerging climate signals mean for portfolio strategy.
With NOAA recently confirming the development of El Niño amid persistently elevated sea surface temperatures, the discussion has shifted from the prospect of its emergence to the event’s potential intensity and the impacts it could have.
Traditionally, El Niño conditions have been associated with lower levels of Atlantic hurricane activity. However, for insurers, reduced activity does not necessarily translate into reduced loss potential. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 remains the clearest reminder that a relatively quiet El Niño season can still produce a severe, market-disrupting event.
While ENSO phases remain valuable forecasting tools, they are only one part of the seasonal picture. Ocean heat content, regional atmospheric conditions and other climate variables can all influence how seasonal activity translates into insured loss.
The question for underwriters is therefore not simply whether the season will be more or less active, but how climate signals and forecasts can be used to support better decisions as risk evolves throughout the year.
During this IUA remote session, our guest speakers will explore:
1. How are climate signals changing in a warming world, and what does that mean for risk assessment?
2. Why are forecasts becoming more operationally useful for insurers today than they were a decade ago?
3. How can underwriters and exposure managers use climate information to support decision making before losses occur?
4. What lessons can insurance learn from other sectors already using forecast-based action?
5. How should organisations think about uncertainty, preparedness and risk communication as forecasts evolve throughout the season?
Guest speaker:
Tom Philp is a research associate at the London School of Economics and founder of Maximum Information, a consultancy that is developing climate risk analytic tools and launching collaborative projects aimed at improving our understanding of climate risks.
He sits on a number of insurance industry advisory groups, including the International Underwriting Association's climate risk group.
Giacomo Favaron is Chief Technology Officer of Maximum Information. He is in charge of defining our technology solutions and overseeing application development. He previously held the position of GIS Data Officer and Senior GIS Developer at AXA XL where he built underwriter-focused catastrophe risk evaluation applications and managed a 1,000-user strong GIS platform.
He has an MSc in Geographical Information Science from Birkbeck, University of London, and an MSc in Spatial Planning from Oxford Brookes University. Before joining the insurance industry, he worked for several years as a GIS consultant for different Italian municipalities and the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).
Disclaimer: The market briefing presentation materials and speaker comments therein were prepared solely by the presenter(s) in their personal and professional capacity. Any materials or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the IUA and IUA does not bear any responsibility for, or liability to, any parties in respect of the accuracy, legality or overall content of the presentation or any other comments made by speakers or other attendees during the market briefing.
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