The economy or the climate? It’s not a choice

David Cole of Swiss Re argues against the perception that economic growth and climate action are mutually exclusive, advocating for a holistic risk management approach. He emphasizes that climate adaptation measures are essential for economic resilience and government budget protection, particularly in the developing world where public-private partnerships are needed to unlock funding and innovation.

• The author contends that economic and climate crises are often incorrectly viewed as opposing choices rather than a continuum, and argues that a holistic risk management approach is necessary to address both simultaneously.
• Climate adaptation measures are critical for a country's ability to recover from extreme weather events, with insurability depending on a combination of physical defenses, disaster preparedness, and social, environmental, and urban planning.
• Climate adaptation is especially urgent in the developing world, where collaborations between the global insurance industry, civil society, and public-sector institutions are required to increase funding and innovation.

APA

Cole, D. (2013). The economy or the climate? It’s not a choice. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/the-economy-or-the-climate-its-not-a-choice/

Chicago

Cole, David. The economy or the climate? It’s not a choice. World Economic Forum, 2013. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/the-economy-or-the-climate-its-not-a-choice/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Cole |first1=David |title=The economy or the climate? It’s not a choice |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=11 January 2013 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/the-economy-or-the-climate-its-not-a-choice/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cole2013economy, author = {Cole, David}, title = {{The economy or the climate? It’s not a choice}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/the-economy-or-the-climate-its-not-a-choice/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }