"The premium volume grew by six percent in 2023, while the result remained roughly the same. Engine fell by four percent to only one percent efficiency, but both the fire (+10%) and transport (+15%) and other (+6%) sectors showed increases."
The full figures for 2023 will not come for a few weeks, but as in previous years, Lidwien Suur (chairman of the Non-Life sector) was allowed to give a sneak preview during the Damage Day. She did not describe 2023 as a special financial year. "If you look at the weather damage caused by fire and engine in the past year, the 260 million euros is about a third of the damage in 2022. We have had to deal with a few summer storms and hailstorms, but the damage is volatile. Over the longer term, we see an upward trend in weather damage."
Climate change
In her opening remarks, Suur called climate change "a very big one" of all the challenges the sector faces on the way to 2030. "We increasingly have to determine where we can and cannot build in a climate-adaptive way. In addition, we are also in talks with the government about their role in covering (the failure of) primary flood defences."
These talks are constructive, according to Suur, but unfortunately the elections and the formation do not accelerate this process. "And in the meantime, campsites in our country are being evacuated, the Meuse reaches its highest point on Friday and I see on television how southern Germany is fighting against the water."
"In addition to all the climate-related problems, we also have to deal with geopolitical crises in several places"
Geopolitics
These are the day-to-day discussions that the Non-Life Sector Board has to deal with. What financial solutions are possible for this changing weather? How should we deal with sustainable damage repair? How can we help finance the energy transition? And in the meantime, Suur is 'a bit gloomy' from all the misery on television. "In addition to all the climate-related problems, we also have to deal with geopolitical crises in several places. In the Ukraine, but also in the Middle and Far East. It's all very unstable and has an impact on our part of the world and the financial sector."
Europe
According to her, geopolitics puts the European Elections in a different light. "Europe is important to us. In fact, Europe is becoming increasingly important. Also for our sector. The number of themes is growing and it seems as if insurers mainly have to deal with four-letter topics: FIDA (Financial Data Access), DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act), CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive). Each and every one of them is useful and important, but all in all it is also a huge amount of work," Suur concluded.
The Dutch Association of Insurers will publish its annual financial report for 2023 on 26 June, during the General Members' Meeting.
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