Government officials, scientists, and private sector leaders examined Portsmouth, Virginia as a case study to apply risk intelligence and lessons learned to global communities

RenaissanceRe (NYSE: RNR) hosted thought leaders, risk scientists, and community experts at the Protecting Communities from Climate Change: Using Portsmouth, Virginia to Kickstart Global Solutions risk mitigation leadership forum.

The 15th annual forum sought to advance risk mitigation efforts and awareness, support community preparedness and resilience, and strategize how to better prepare for, and respond to, natural catastrophes. Using Portsmouth as a case study, the forum established a real-world framework that can be applied to vulnerable communities across the globe.

“Climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and severe and is an urgent issue for communities, businesses and governments. Protecting communities and enabling prosperity is an important purpose and we’ve long applied our risk expertise and resources to drive better understanding of the impacts of climate change,” Kevin O’Donnell, President and CEO of RenaissanceRe said.

“We are proud to mark the 15th event in our Risk Mitigation Forum Leadership series with the goal of developing collaborative solutions, enhancing physical and financial resiliency of at-risk communities, and reducing the increasingly catastrophic effects of natural disasters.”

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam remarked on the important issues discussed at the Forum.

“The fight against climate change requires us all to work together – public and private sectors, as well as the people it affects every day," Governor Northam said. "We see real results when we listen to the science, focus on mitigation efforts, and understand the roles private industry and the public sector must play to help communities transition to a resilient and sustainable future. I’m proud RenaissanceRe chose to focus on Portsmouth this year. What we learned today will inform future resilience efforts in Virginia and across the globe.”

Hundreds of virtual attendees heard from featured speakers and panelists throughout the forum, including; Dr. Ed Kearns, Chief Data Officer, First Street Foundation; Jessica Whitehead, Executive Director Institute for Coastal Adaptation & Resilience (ICAR); Brian Swets, Manager of Comprehensive and Strategic Planning City of Portsmouth; William A. (Skip) Stiles, Jr., Executive Director, Wetlands Watch; Roy E. Wright, President & Chief Executive Officer, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety; Jonathan (Jake) Clark, Managing Director, Guy Carpenter; Kristin Owen, Floodplain & Dam Safety Manager, Henrico County; Jamie Rhodes, Director, Insurance-Linked Finance, Re: Focus Partners; Antoine DeNoix, CEO, AXA Climate; Bridget Gainer, Vice President of Global Public Affairs, Aon; Chris Parry, Senior Vice President – Global Head of RenaissanceRe Capital Partners; Josh Saks, Deputy Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, Commonwealth of Virginia; MaryAnn Tierney, FEMA Region 3 Administrator; Curtis Brown, State Coordinator for Virginia Department of Emergency Management; Meg Pittenger, Assistant Director of Planning, City of Portsmouth, and more.

About RenaissanceRe’s Risk Mitigation Leadership Forums

In 2008, RenaissanceRe created its award-winning Risk Mitigation Leadership Forum series to advance the disaster safety movement in a collaborative way and develop strategies that foster community resiliency. The events bring together academics, scientists, conservationists, and public and private sector representatives to foster risk mitigation efforts across a wide range of perils and regions. RenaissanceRe believes an important purpose is to protect communities and enable prosperity and, by applying its risk expertise and financial resources to engendering the practice of mitigation, the company seeks to reduce the severe effects of disasters on global societies and be a positive force for change.

For more information about RenaissanceRe’s Risk Mitigation Leadership Forums, visit https://www.renre.com/about-us/risk-mitigation-leadership-forums/.

About RenaissanceRe

RenaissanceRe is a global provider of reinsurance and insurance that specializes in matching well-structured risks with efficient sources of capital. The company provides property, casualty, and specialty reinsurance and certain insurance solutions to customers, principally through intermediaries. Established in 1993, RenaissanceRe has offices in Bermuda, Ireland, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

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