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What is the SIF?
The Sustainable Insurance Forum (SIF) is a network of insurance supervisors and regulators from around the world who are working together on the sustainability challenges facing the business of insurance. It serves as a global platform for knowledge sharing, research and collective action.
The Forum is convened by the UN Environment Programme, drawing together its Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System and the Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI), the SIF has attracted support from supervisors around the world.
The SIF was launched in December 2016 in San Francisco at a meeting co-hosted by the California Department of Insurance and UN Environment. It is now taking forward a six-track work programme in 2017.
What is sustainable insurance?
The global insurance sector will play a pivotal role in the transition to a low-carbon, resilient and sustainable global economy, both in terms of the risks it covers and the investments it makes. Sustainable insurance is a strategic approach where all activities in the insurance value chain are conducted in a responsible and forward-looking manner by identifying, assessing, managing and monitoring risks and opportunities associated with environmental, social and governance issues. Insurance regulators and supervisors are starting to take steps to manage a range of critical sustainability issues, such as climate change.
The journey to creating the Sustainable Insurance Forum
2014-15: First-ever international consultation on the links between insurance policy, regulation and supervision and sustainable development
May 2015: Insurance 2030 Roundtable, co-hosted by UN Environment and Swiss Re
June 2015: Insurance 2030: Harnessing Insurance for Sustainable Development report launched at the Global Insurance Forum of the International Insurance Society. One of the key recommendations of the report was to create the SIF.
November 2015: At the 7th International Insurance Conference, UN Environment’s Executive Director speaks about creating the SIF, as well as the PSI’s idea of developing “Insurance Development Goals” to help realize the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
2015-16: Several insurance regulators express support for the SIF concept, for example the UK, in its assessment of climate change and the UK insurance sector.
2016: A core leadership group of insurance regulators (Brazil, France, Netherlands, Philippines, South Africa, the UK, and California and Washington State in the US) guides the process of creating the SIF.
June 2016: Presentation of the results of an international consultation on the proposed SIF involving regulators from more than 30 countries, in cooperation with the IAIS, at the IAIS meetings.
November-December 2016: Launch of the SIF
What is the goal of the SIF?
The objective of the Sustainable Insurance Forum is to strengthen insurance supervisors’ and regulators’ understanding of and responses to sustainability challenges and opportunities for the business of insurance. The SIF’s starting point is to address the environmental dimension of the sustainable insurance challenge through international cooperation.
The SIF is a global platform for thought leadership, dialogue, knowledge sharing, research, best practice development and capacity building for insurance regulators and supervisors on sustainable insurance issues. The SIF meets twice a year to share knowledge and collaborate on different projects relating to sustainable insurance issues.
The UN Environment Secretariat supports the SIF and the implementation of its work programme through research, analysis and process management.
Click here for the SIF Framework document.