20 September 2010: UNFCCC Executive Director Christiana Figueres delivered a keynote address during the Swiss Re high-level event titled “Risk and Resiliency: Risk Transfer and Adaptation in Developing Economies,” which took place as part of the Climate Week 2010, in New York, US.

Highlighting recent extreme weather events, which she acknowledged could not be definitively attributed to climate change, Figueres observed that they were a “loud and clear wake-up call” on the need to: reduce emissions quickly; adapt to the inevitable in order to minimize the loss of life and livelihoods; and increase resilience in order to protect the quality of life in the future. She emphasized the importance of increasing resilience of both developing and industrialized countries, particularly in the health, agriculture and water sectors.

Figueres called on businesses to “climate-proof their operations,” noting that adaptation “will be imperative if businesses want to avoid climate change impacts driving them out of business.” She pointing out that global adaptation needs open new opportunities for private sector engagement, particularly for the insurance industry. [Keynote Address] [Climate Week Website]