Insurance sector management of climate change adaptation in three Nordic countries: the influence of policy and market factors

The insurance industry is important for facilitating climate change adaptation. Insurance companies’ involvement is, however, influenced by national adaptation policy. The literature suggests that especially policy factors – government interventions, political priorities and public–private cooperation – and market factors – cost offset, cost mitigation, planning flexibility and business opportunities – shape private actor approaches. To increase the understanding of insurance company involvement in adaptation, this study examines how insurance companies’ approaches are influenced by policy and market factors in three countries: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The study found that the policy factors tested significantly shaped the approaches of the companies assessed, while market factors currently appear less influential. This is likely due to the absence of climate risk and adaptation in political debates and among insurance policyholders. The study discusses the potential role of the insurance industry in adaptation governance and suggests how barriers facing insurance companies could be overcome.     

Environmental Pollution Liability Insurance in China: In Need of Strong Government Backing

Environmental pollution liability insurance was officially introduced in China only in 2006, as part of new market-based approaches for managing environmental risks. By 2012, trial applications of pollution insurance had been launched in 14 provinces and cities. More than ten insurance companies have entered the pollution insurance market with their own products and contracts. Companies in environmentally sensitive sectors and high-risk industries bought pollution insurance, and a few successful compensation cases have been reported. Still, pollution insurance faces a number of challenges in China. The absence of a national law weakens the legal basis of pollution insurance, and poor technical support stagnates further implementation. Moreover, current pollution insurance products have limited risk coverage, high premium rates, and low loss ratios, which make them fairly unattractive to polluters. Meanwhile, low awareness of environmental and social liabilities leads to limited demand for pollution insurance products by industrial companies. Hence, the pollution insurance market is not yet flourishing in China. To improve this situation, this economic instrument needs stronger backing by the Chinese state.     

建筑火灾风险综合评价对火灾保险费率影响的研究

保险人为了降低建筑火灾后巨额的损失赔付,需要在承保时对建筑物进行火灾风险评价,进而根据评价结果确定保险费率的大小.论文根据高层建筑火灾风险的模糊综合评价模型及评价结果所在的等级范围,提出并建立了保险费率浮动的关系方程式.最后应用此模型和关系式对一幢高层建筑的火灾风险进行了评价,得出其防火安全等级和费率的浮动值.研究结果表明,所建立的方法为保险人确定费率浮动提供了依据,并为承保前的检查、承保后的核查,提供了系统的技术手段.     

我国建立地震保险制度的探讨

随着我国经济的快速发展,个人和企业财产的损失已经成为地震灾害损失最主要的组成部分,同时关于地震保险的讨论,也引起了学术界和社会各界的关注。首先在阐述我国地震保险的现状和问题的基础上,探讨了建立地震保险制度的必要性和可行性,接着在总结分析发达国家和地区地震保险经验的基础上,提出了推进我国地震保险制度的建议。     

Insuring against earthquakes: simulating the cost‐effectiveness of disaster preparedness

Ex‐ante measures to improve risk preparedness for natural disasters are generally considered to be more effective than ex‐post measures. Nevertheless, most resources are allocated after an event in geographical areas that are vulnerable to natural disasters. This paper analyses the cost‐effectiveness of ex‐ante adaptation measures in the wake of earthquakes and provides an assessment of the future role of private and public agencies in disaster risk management. The study uses a simulation model approach to evaluate consumption losses after earthquakes under different scenarios of intervention. Particular attention is given to the role of activity diversification measures in enhancing disaster preparedness and the contributions of (targeted) microcredit and education programmes for reconstruction following a disaster. Whereas the former measures are far more cost‐effective, missing markets and perverse incentives tend to make ex‐post measures a preferred option, thus occasioning underinvestment in ex‐ante adaptation initiatives.     

内蒙古雪灾保险费率的厘定——基于自然灾害系统理论的研究

中国巨灾保险赔款占直接经济损失的比率比国际平均水平低的多,2008年初南方雨雪冰冻灾害和"5.12"汶川地震两次巨灾过后,国家加紧推进巨灾保险体系的建立。其中,巨灾保险费率厘定是基础。基于自然灾害系统理论,构建了以危险性曲线和脆弱性曲线为核心的巨灾风险保险费率厘定方法体系,改进了以往农业保险仅从致灾因子角度厘定费率的片面性。最后,借鉴美国洪水保险、日本地震保险以灾种为对象(而非承灾体种类为对象)构建巨灾保险体系的优势,以雪灾保险为例,厘定了内蒙古12盟市雪灾保险费率。结果显示,位于中部地区的锡林郭勒盟雪灾保险费率最高,为3.10%;位于西部地区的阿拉善盟、乌海市雪灾保险费率最低,为1.09%。     

农民工工伤保险先行赔付机制的可行性研究

由于我国现行工伤保险赔付机制的不完善,致使农民工在出现工伤之后由于企业没有缴费而得不到救助。为改变这种状况,现在政府推行的扩大工伤缴费覆盖面和简化工伤受理补偿的程序,固然能够取得一些成效,而配套实行先行赔付的机制,会更为便于操作和更为直接有效。这种机制的实质是,克服传统行政管理的不足,真正运用社会化的方式,实现工伤员工享受工伤补偿的普惠性,促使用人单位、政府和司法有关部门能够把工伤社会保障的责任切实承担起来。     

关于首例环境污染责任险获赔案的思考

以湖南某农药企业污染赔付事件为例,分析了推广环境污染责任险中存在的问题,提出了应强制推行环境污染责任险的建议。     

在借鉴中建立我国环境责任保险制度

环境侵权责任的特殊性使建立在责任自负原则基础上的传统侵权救济模式在这一领域陷入困境。实践证明,解决此问题最为有效的方法就是建立社会化的赔偿方式,通过市场机制来分担风险。投保环境责任保险,可以避免承担巨额赔偿的风险,受害者又可以得到及时有效的救济。我国环境责任保险在实践中存在保险范围过窄、保险费率过高、配套法律制度不完善等问题。可以在借鉴西方先进国家经验的基础上,发展符合我国国情的环境责任保险制度。     

论B-S期权定价模型在环境责任保险中的适用性

从回报函数角度分析环境责任保险的看跌期权性质,并总结其不同于看跌期权的特性,针对B-S模型假设与推导过程探究环境责任保险特殊性质对B-S模型使用的影响,验证B-S模型在环境责任保险定价中运用的合理性,并提出环境责任保险定价发展的合理化建议。