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The Actuaries Institute in co-operation with the Earth Systems and Climate Change (ESCC) Hub hosts the Climate Risk Fluency Series. The purpose of the series to bring together leaders in scientific research and business in order to discuss current climate risk issues affecting businesses today.

The second instalment of the Climate Risk Fluency Series is taking place on Wednesday 4 April 2018 and will focus on risks relating to changes in the frequency of extreme heat. Issues that will be discussed will include the impact of climate change on heat waves and high fire danger days.  The session will consider how the changes in the physical environment translate into changes in health risk, bushfire risk, and the risks associated with resultant higher energy costs.  The session will include a workshop to facilitate interaction across the attendees.

 

Plenary 1: Heatwaves - The impact of more frequent events

Dr Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick (UNSW)

This session will consider the emerging science on heatwave frequency and  include consideration of the impact of heatwaves on health.

Plenary 2:  Bushfire risk – Future changes and quantifying the increase in cost

Dr Andrew Dowdy (BoM) and Tim Andrews (Finity) 

Andrew Dowdy will present the influence of climate change on fire weather extremes, including the risk of pyroconvection (as occurred for recent disastrous events in Australia such as Black Saturday). The results will reflect observations, GCMs and downscaling methods. Tim Andrews will talk to the use of this type of information to quantify climate risk. 

Plenary 3:  Mitigation – Reducing heat in urban areas

Stephanie Jacobs (Monash University)

This session will explore the types of mitigation that can be undertaken to manage thermal comfort in a warming environment, including the implementation of water sensitive infrastructure.

Plenary 4: Workshop – The impact of the changing frequency of heatwaves on mortgage risk

Dr Nick Wood (Climate Policy Research)

High-energy costs are a factor in the risk of mortgage default in the commercial and to a lesser extent the domestic property sector. The workshop would consider how changes in the frequency and duration of extreme heat events or the possible impact of a more urgent energy sector transition on energy prices would affect the mortgage default risk.