Te Uru Institute for Sustainability and the Centre for Sustainability Research are delighted to bring you this informative FREE public talk.
Climate change-related risks and damage are accelerating globally, reducing the affordability and availability of property insurance in many countries, including Aotearoa. In the main, the Natural Hazards Commission – Toka Tū Ake (formerly EQC) does not cover climate-related perils, such as flooding, coastal erosion and sea level rise. Nor does it have a mandate to invest in precautionary adaptation measures. It is thus no longer fit for purpose. Drawing on the experience of other OECD countries and proposals in the recent book, Insuring the Future: Reimagining Home Insurance in Aotearoa, this talk will explore the options for reforming natural hazards insurance in Aotearoa to enhance our adaptive capacity, climate justice and societal resilience.
The talk will be 40 minutes, followed by Q&A. If you would like to attend but can't be with us in person, the event will be live streamed via Zoom - simply select your attendance option when you register.
Speaker
Jonathan Boston, ONZM, is an Emeritus Professor of Public Policy in the School of Government at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. His research interests include climate change policy and anticipatory governance. Aside from his academic roles, he has been employed by several government departments and agencies and served on various advisory groups, including the Expert Working Group on Managed Retreat (2022-23). In 2025 he was appointed an Honorary Senior Fellow of the Helen Clark Foundation. From July-Sept 2026 he was a visiting researcher at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment within the London School of Economics. Recent books include A Radically Different World: Preparing for Climate Change (BWB, 2024) and Insuring the Future: Reimagining Home Insurance in Aotearoa (Te Herenga Waka University Press, 2026).