9.5 How Can Policymakers Protect Policyholders in a World on Fire?

Home insurance is one of those things you need to have and hope to never need. But as risk from climate disasters increases, many homeowners are finding it more and more difficult to obtain an affordable policy. This is especially true in the American West, where wildfires are creating more uncertainty than insurance companies are willing to cover, forcing many homeowners to enroll in state-run insurance plans. Daniel and Alison sit down with Dr. Lisa Dale, director of the Climate and Society Masters program at the Columbia Climate School, for a conversation about how policymakers can help communities navigate the insurance crisis as it relates to wildfires.

Show notes:

• Risky Business: Insurance in the Era of Climate Change (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/050625insurance 
• Missing the mark: Effectiveness and funding in community wildfire risk reduction (Headwaters Economics report): https://headwaterseconomics.org/natural-hazards/missing-the-mark-wildfire/ 
• All Fired up for Innovation in Wildfire Risk Analysis (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/7.6-all-fired-up-for-innovation-in-wildfire-risk-analysis 
• Living with Climate Change: Wildfires (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/061322climatechange 
• Rethinking Tourism in the Wake of West Maui’s Wildfires (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/rethinking-tourism-in-the-wake-of-west-mauis-wildfires