British business failing to adapt to changing climate

• 90% of FTSE 350 express concern about climate change
• but only 1 in 8 of FTSE 350 see their operations as at high risk

A changing climate for business

By John Firth in a supplement to Environmental Finance magazine, October 2006

Regardless of our efforts to mitigate climate change, we are locked into an unavoidable degree of global warming. And, as John Firth finds, companies need to accelerate their preparations.

The forecast predicts legal liabilities

By Malcolm Dowden, Charles Russell LLP

In Estates Gazette, 12 November 2005

“Climate change is not merely the preserve of meteorologists. It has repercussions for developers and building owners.”

Katrina and the waves

By John Firth, acclimatise

This article first appeared in the Ariadne Capital Journal (version 6 edition 1), February 2006

“If companies suffer significant losses in 2006, I am sure we can expect institutional investors to be asking searching questions of those companies regarding their risk management procedures and their exposure to climate risks.”

Take the weather with you

By Ed Vinales in Insurance Post Magazine, 20 July 2006

“If companies can prove they have robust risk management procedures mitigating climate risk then that should be reflected in the availability and cost of coverage and enable differentiation against competitors that do not adequately manage this risk. Corporate governance would then oblige senior management to take note of the issue.”

London warned to prepare itself

By Lynn Rouse in Insurance Post Magazine, 27 July 2006

“The UK needs a change in mind-set. In particular, the risks attached to water shortages and heat are not yet part of our consciousness. We need to stop thinking ‘the hotter the better’ and start addressing the consequences.”