Swenja Surminski

Swenja Surminski is a Professor in Practice at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, LSE. She also serves as Managing Director for Climate and Sustainability at Marsh McLennan and chairs the Munich Climate Insurance Initiative. Her expertise spans climate adaptation, risk finance, disaster resilience, and Loss and Damage policy. She advises the UK Committee on Climate Change and leads projects like the EU Naturance initiative and the Climate Resilience Alliance. Surminski holds a PhD in Political Science from Hamburg University and has published extensively on climate risk, insurance mechanisms, and resilience dividends. Her work bridges academia, policy, and industry, focusing on transformative climate adaptation strategies.

• Education: PhD in Political Science, Hamburg University (2002), Fulbright Scholar at University of New Hampshire.
• Affiliations: Grantham Research Institute, Marsh McLennan, Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (Chair).

Research Interests: Climate risk finance, adaptation co-benefits (Triple Resilience Dividend), nature-based solutions, private sector adaptation, and UNFCCC policy. Her research emphasizes integrating risk reduction with sustainable development, particularly through insurance and policy frameworks. Recent work explores flood resilience in urban areas and environmental justice in housing vulnerability.

Policy Contributions: Co-author of UK Climate Change Risk Assessments, advisor to Bank of England, and contributor to IPCC reports. Her policy briefs inform flood risk management in mature economies (e.g., UK, Germany, US) and advocate for equitable climate adaptation strategies.