Physical risk and adaptation

This GARP podcast episode with Emma Howard Boyd CBE, Chair of the London Climate Resilience Review, tackles Urban Resilience and how our cities must adapt to climate change.

In a rapidly changing world, several external pressures – with geopolitics and climate at the centre – are converging to fundamentally impact business performance. Building capacity to navigate this reality is now fundamental to good decision-making, says Nathalie Wlodarczyk, Chapter Zero member, geostrategy advisor at Gatehouse and Non-executive Director at Forster Communications. Unprecedented geopolitical volatility is changing both the climate debate and the space for action, and as we look to COP30 the opportunity may lie in new types of partnerships, she says.

The health impacts of unchecked climate change are not a far-off scenario; they are already taking a toll across the world. That is why health is a key COP30 theme. Beyond the significant human consequences, the systemic disruption this generates represents a threat to businesses that rely on the collective health of people and the planet. Understanding this risk is important for board leaders to ensure their organisations remain fit and resilient.

COP30 is overflowing with events and themes; but security is not yet on the agenda. Rebecca Harding, CEO of the Centre for Economic Security, and Patricia Rodrigues Jenner, Global Non-executive Director, and Chapter Zero Fellow, challenge this and discuss the critical need for businesses to integrate climate security into their operations and boardroom conversations.

The World Resources Institute, in collaboration with the ACT2025 consortium, has outlined four questions that will shape how vulnerable countries confront climate hazards, calling on the upcoming summit for decisive responses. These questions address critical issues including climate finance commitments, the development of loss and damage frameworks, and the implications of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling for COP30 negotiations.

UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report 2025 addresses a vast shortfall in climate adaptation finance for developing nations, with needs reaching $310–365 billion annually by 2035. Despite progress in planning, urgent action is needed from public and private sectors to close the gap and protect vulnerable communities

While climate risk management at all financial institutions has significantly progressed in recent years, differences remain between leading firms and those that are less advanced. In this new report, GARP Risk Institute examines key trends from the previous four annual Global Climate Risk Surveys to offer a holistic view of the evolution of climate risk practices