On the first day of Climate Week Zurich, we were honoured to convene an event with UBS, in partnership with Swiss Re and Zurich Insurance Group, to explore how climate resilience and adaptation is moving from the margins towards the core of financial decision‑making, and what it will take to scale effective solutions through finance.

The event brought together perspectives from science, finance, insurance and technology around a shared understanding of climate resilience as the ability not only to recover from disruption, but to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. A recurring message was that adaptation and mitigation can not be approached separately; both are essential to managing growing climate risks and protecting long‑term economic value.

Professor Johan Rockström set the scientific context, highlighting the accelerating pace of climate change and the increasing pressure on Earth’s natural systems. With several stability thresholds already under strain, he stressed the importance of understanding systemic risks, tipping points and feedback loops when making long‑term, risk‑informed decisions, particularly those shaping investment and planning.

From the insurance and finance perspective, speakers from Zurich Insurance and Swiss Re illustrated how climate risk insights are already informing decisions on where and how assets are built, insured and protected. Moderated by Google, the conversation also explored how data and technology are helping turn risk visibility into actionable financial choices, shifting the focus upstream towards prevention and resilience.

A dedicated session focused on the role of finance in enabling climate adaptation at scale. Real estate emerged as a tangible example of how resilience becomes visible on the ground, while speakers also emphasised the importance of leadership, skills and organisational culture in supporting a workforce and economy in transition.

Across the discussions, a clear takeaway emerged: adaptation is increasingly recognised as a strategic and economic imperative. When resilience measures clearly protect value and reduce future losses, they become investable, reinforcing the importance of collaboration across sectors to turn insight into scalable action.

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About Climate Week Zurich 2026

The inaugural Climate Week Zurich took place from 4–9 May, 2026, and saw over 250 events taking place across the city with over 10,000 participants. Learn more at www.climateweekzurich.org