Severe weather in a changing climate

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Climate change is already well underway and is considered by many to be the greatest risk currently facing humanity. Every year we are confronted globally with extreme weather events, that become natural disasters. Our communities in Australia are exposed to just about every hazard this world can throw at them, from earthquakes to storms and cyclones, to bushfires and devastating floods.

We cannot prevent these events happening, but we know more can be done to better prepare communities and make them more resilient and stronger.

Protecting communities requires greater investment in resilience and mitigation planning – be it from governments, businesses, community organisations or individuals – which will reduce the physical, economic and social recovery costs that follow a disaster.

This report reviews and interprets the latest climate science to understand how climate change is impacting the severity and frequency of weather events like tropical cyclones, hailstorms and rainfall, and what is likely to happen in the future. The report also examines the changing physical risks from severe weather patterns, considering past, present and future climates.

Climate change will require broadscale collaboration and co-ordination across all sectors of the community. Climate change is too big for one organisation to solve and it is our hope this report will provide a foundation to drive more conversation, so the necessary change can happen.

Download the report

UPDATE: on 9 September 2020, IAG and NCAR released an updated edition of the report.

Access the second edition of the report and view the launch presentations here.

Watch the presentations from our report launch event

1. Welcome - Peter Harmer, Managing Director and CEO, IAG

2. Agenda - Mark Leplastrier, Executive Manager Natural Perils, IAG

3.  Dr Cindy Bruyere, Director, Capacity Center for Climate and Weather Extremes, NCAR

4. Dr Greg Holland, Emeritus Senior Scientist, NCAR

5. Dr Bruce Buckley, Specialist Meteorology, IAG

6. Session 1 - Q+A

7. The Hon Matt Kean, NSW Minister for Energy and Environment

8. Part 2 context and introductions - Mark Leplastrier, Executive Manager Natural Perils, IAG

9.  Dr David Henderson, Specialist Property Resilience, IAG; James Cook University Cyclone Testing Station

10.  Andrew Dyer, Specialist Natural Perils, IAG

11. Wrap-up and Part 2 Q+A - Mark Leplastrier, Executive Manager Natural Perils, IAG

Comment and collaborate 

To collaborate and share information on this topic, please email climatechange@iag.com.au 

Read our media announcement on the report