Amanda Whiting, CEO IAG New Zealand says, “The NAP is a great start in our response to the impacts of climate change and includes a wide range of activity that will help grow our ability to adapt. But we need to be much more specific about the steps we will take to adapt and how they will be paid for.

“As we’ve stated previously, climate change is happening. It is a critical issue for our country, and it is already having serious impacts on the lives of New Zealanders through more frequent and intense storms, floods, droughts, wildfires, and in time, rising sea levels.

“As New Zealand’s largest general insurer, with a relationship with one in two households, we see first-hand the devastating impact these events have on New Zealanders and how they put people’s lives at risk.

“The insurance we provide is here to support kiwis when things go wrong, but there’s so much more we must do to keep New Zealanders safe from the impacts of natural disasters.

“There are deliberate actions we can take to increase our resilience, alongside ongoing efforts to reduce carbon emissions. While we are pleased to see the launch of the NAP today, it’s apparent there is still a lot we need to do as a country to get ahead of these issues.

“IAG continues to be committed to being here for all New Zealanders now and into the future. We will continue to provide insurance for our customers because that’s what we do. But insurance is one component of the solution. The most important thing we can do is to ensure people are not in harm’s way. Avoiding the impact on lives and people’s wellbeing must be the priority.

“To keep people safe, we need to think smarter. We need greater investment in infrastructure and other solutions that either protect people or move them out of harm’s way.

“We will continue to work alongside central and local Government to help achieve this. The NAP provides a good platform for these discussions.

“The safety and security of our fellow New Zealanders is paramount.”

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