After years of historic storms, floods, fires and escalating claims severity, the insurance industry has entered 2026 with one lesson firmly established: climate risk is no longer an emerging challenge, it is the environment in which insurers operate every day. And, according to Matthew Turack (pictured), group president of insurance at CAA Club Group, the only viable path forward is to rethink how the entire insurance ecosystem approaches resilience.
“Climate change is here,” Turack said. “We need to focus on how we can adapt to the changing climate, where we’re seeing more severe storms and more frequent events – and how we can be more resilient.”
For Turack, climate resilience is not a technical discussion about weather patterns – it is a practical challenge that touches construction standards, consumer behaviour, government planning, and claims response capabilities. He said Canadians are “naturally resilient” because of the country’s four-season extremes, but the scale of modern climate events demands a more coordinated approach.
He pointed to the need for smarter building materials, stronger infrastructure, better emergency coordination, and cross-provincial resource sharing when disaster strikes. As an example, he noted the growing use of carbon-injected concrete, which both reduces environmental impact and offers superior durability. It’s the kind of adaptation, he said, that insurers, governments, builders and consumers must lean into together.
“We can advocate for safer standards,” he said, referencing stronger roofing, modern shingles, and materials that can withstand high-intensity weather “far better” than traditional options. But insurers can’t dictate where people live or how communities are built. They can only inform, advise and partner.
That is why Turack believes climate resilience can’t be solved by any single actor. “It’s the entire ecosystem,” he said. “Everyone has to do just a little part to make a big difference.” Governments must set codes and guide safe growth. Builders must choose stronger materials. Consumers have to understand their own risk. And insurers must continue informing, recommending, and coordinating resources when events happen.
Turack also highlighted the importance of individual action. CAA has an internal initiative which gives each employee a personal sustainability goal, whether at home, at work or in the community. The point, he said, is that large cultural shifts are built from thousands of small ones.
“Every person doing a little thing will have a big effect,” Turack said.
The same forces driving physical climate risk – volatility, uncertainty, and rising costs – are also reshaping consumer expectations.
Turack said the past few years have created an environment where consumers increasingly seek stability, clarity and reassurance. Inflation, cost-of-living pressures and global instability all contribute to a desire for confidence about what their insurance covers, why premiums change and how they can protect their homes and vehicles.
Consumers are also asking for better communication – but not necessarily faster communication. Turack challenges the idea that “speed” is the priority.
“What consumers are really asking for is transparency,” he said. They want information in plain language, when they want it, in the format they prefer. For some, that means a phone call. For others, a text message. Some still want face-to-face conversations. What matters, he said, is offering multiple communication channels that feel natural and accessible – not forcing people into one rigid path.
This shift in expectations is directly tied to resilience as well. Transparency and trust are part of how insurers help households weather uncertain times, long before a storm hits.
Turack sees communication as directly connected to climate readiness. When consumers feel informed and connected, they are more likely to adopt risk-mitigating behaviours – whether installing backflow valves, choosing resilient materials, or simply understanding what coverage they need.
Transparent communication also strengthens claims experiences during catastrophes, when people are frightened, overwhelmed or displaced. In those moments, Turack said, technology can support efficiency, but human empathy cannot be replaced.
“Technology is a tool,” he said. “But we will always have people in the loop. At that first moment of a claim, the most important thing is: are you okay?”
It’s a reminder that resilience is not only structural or environmental. It is also emotional and relational. And that human connection, Turack argues, remains central to the industry’s purpose.
