NU Online News Service, Oct. 3, 11:06 a.m.EDT

John R. Coomber, a Swiss Re director who has consistentlyidentified climate change as a significant risk, will become thenew chairman of ClimateWise, the global insurance industry'sleadership group formed to reduce the risks of climate change.

Coomber succeeds Andrew Torrance, chief executive officer ofAllianz Insurance, who has completed his three-year term aschairman, according to ClimateWise.

As group chief executive officer of Swiss Re from 2003 to 2005,Coomber consistently identified climate change as one of the mostsignificant strategic issues facing the insurance industryglobally, ClimiteWise says, adding that today, Swiss Re is aleading force in addressing, researching, and developing solutionsto mitigate and adapt to the risks of climate change.

Commenting on his new role, Coomber says, “Recent events haveshown how vulnerable the world's inter-dependent economies are torisks that at first appear to only affect one part of the system.Climate change, too, cuts across all walks of life, affectingpeople and property, global food production and the smooth-runningof supply chains.”

He notes that reducing these risks to an acceptable level is “inall of our interests and we cannot do that without strongpartnerships between businesses, governments and widersociety.”

Torrance says, “I have very much enjoyed chairing ClimateWiseover the past three years, during which insurance leaders from fourdifferent continents have joined our ranks to build a range ofaction-orientated partnerships to fight climate risk. I have nodoubt that this vital initiative will go from strength to strengthunder John's leadership.”

ClimateWise is facilitated by the University of CambridgeProgram for Sustainability Leadership (CPSL).