On 5 March 2026, research connected to the NATURANCE project was presented during Klimaatmiddag 2026, the annual climate event organised by the Dutch Association of Insurers at its headquarters in The Hague.
The event gathered around 50 participants from the financial sector, mainly insurers and bankers, together with policymakers and researchers to discuss climate risks, adaptation strategies, and emerging approaches to resilience financing.
The breakout session was organised by the Climate Finance Academy of the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and focused on the contribution of biodiversity and nature-based solutions to reducing climate-related risks and damages. Researchers presented recent scientific findings and explored their implications for the insurance and financial sectors.
The session included the presentation “Upscaling nature-based solutions: is there a role for insurers?”, which examined how the insurance sector can support the wider adoption of nature-based solutions for climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Members of the NATURANCE consortium participating in the event included Wouter Botzen and Max Tesselaar from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
The programme also featured results from the sister project PIISA, including work on incentivising the uptake of green roofs among policyholders through insurance-related mechanisms.
Another presentation by Dr. Thomas van Huyssteen titled “Hidden nature risks in supply chains: why insurers miss upstream ecosystem dependencies” highlighted how conventional risk assessments often fail to capture ecosystem-service dependencies beyond direct suppliers, potentially overlooking vulnerabilities linked to water availability, flood control, and climate regulation. The findings raised important considerations for underwriting, investment analysis, and sustainability disclosure practices within the financial sector.
By contributing to discussions with insurers, financial stakeholders, and policymakers, the session offered an important opportunity to showcase how nature-based solutions can play an increasing role in climate resilience strategies and risk management frameworks.