Within the scope of COP31 hosted by Türkiye in Antalya, the Insurance House event, organized by the Turkish Insurance Association (TSB) in a hotel and starting on November 11, continues.
Surminski, Executive Director of Climate and Sustainability at Marsh, a global professional services company for risk, reinsurance, capital, investment and management investment services, noted that COP31 is in a center where the effects of climate conditions are felt by everyone, "Therefore, timing is now critical to help. I think this COP is 'action' and implementation, as Türkiye continues." he said.
Stating that the sector has a serious knowledge and understanding of risks, as well as tools and solutions that will help combat risks, Surminski stated that the sector is also working on new technologies, and that these investments shed light on life.
Surminski drew attention to the importance of Sigorta Evi's perspective of showing what the industry looks like, what is possible, and creating momentum throughout the industry.
Surminski, who at Marsh helps small and large businesses in different sectors to understand and manage risks and record them, explained that they use analytical tools and data to detect risk programs.
Surminski pointed to Marsh Risk's 2026 Climate Adaptation Research and touched on data for Türkiye. Surminski said, "We recently conducted a survey of businesses in Türkiye. First, it shows that our businesses are assessing intermittent climate risk. However, only 30 percent have a systematic plan to increase their resilience." he said.
Stating that their goal is to help businesses understand and define the risks of today and the future and what they can do, Surminski stated that they aim to raise more awareness about risks, stating that it helps businesses make the right investments and increase the right strategies to become resilient.
"MUST BE SURE THAT RISK MODELS CAN PREDICT THE FUTURE"
Marsh Climate and Sustainability Executive Director Swenja Surminski emphasized studies around the world and stated that the performance of countries may differ depending on the sector, but the basic approach is the same. Surminski stated that if the risks faced by businesses today are determined correctly, they can be prepared.
Stating that they do not fully know the negativities that may be encountered in some situations and their costs, Surminski said, "I ask businesses, 'What should I do now? What should I do after a year? What should I do after five years?' The necessary support and tools are provided for them to say. Thus, the process becomes a coherent resilience plan. "The most important thing is to be at this point so that businesses are not caught unprepared." he said.
Surminski stated that this issue has now become a competition issue for some businesses and that they will want to know whether the change in savings is truly permanent.
Stating that they work not only with the private sector but also with governments and public institutions, Surminski said that they support risk analysis and reinsurance supply products to DASK in Türkiye.
Surminski stated that they frequently work with cities and municipalities, helping these institutions understand the risks they face and identify works that will make their infrastructure more durable.
Stating that it is necessary to ensure that risk models are not only based on the past but also can predict the future, Surminski pointed out the importance of adding different scenarios when preparing resilience plans and using these tools.
Surminski stated that this approach is based on scenario analysis and said, "Instead of looking at the past and saying 'There has never been a flood here before, it will not happen again', it is necessary to think about the possible consequences." he said.
For this reason, underlining the importance of updating the models, Surminski said, "Studies are being carried out in this direction in the sector and insurance companies are investing in more advanced models. It is a fact that technology also contributes to us. We are becoming increasingly competent in using technology. Since we can see what has happened in the last 10 years, we also learn from the past. We can see how the climate is changing. Now, by taking advantage of these, we can obtain clearer information about how to reach the future. Artificial intelligence can also play a role in this regard. The process can be accelerated." he said.
Marsh Risk's 2026 Climate Adaptation Survey aims to reveal how approximately 120 private and public organizations around the world are responding to the climate risk environment. The study in Türkiye was carried out in cooperation with Ipsos in November this year, with the participation of 184 senior managers and the owner of the company.
