As climate risks intensify, leaders at Crawford discuss how sustainable thinking is reshaping claims management, and how effective restoration can reduce vulnerabilities.

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When a major loss occurs, the priority is to get the business back up and running quickly. But could recovery decisions help reduce the impact of future losses?

This question is becoming increasingly important for the claims industry. As climate-related events grow in frequency and severity, organisations must balance environmental responsibility, operational resilience and commercial performance.

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For claims professionals, this is changing how losses are managed and how businesses approach recovery, restoration and long-term customer outcomes. Paul Lofkin, president of Crawford UK & Ireland, has seen this change first-hand. “We get more and more questions about sustainability practices from our clients with every year that passes. It is obvious that clients’ awareness and knowledge are increasing, and they want to make us aware that this is something that is important for them.”

The starting point is understanding sustainability as more than reducing environmental impact. It encompasses how businesses operate over the long term, including their people, supply chains and communities.

Pre-empting climate events

2026 has brought climate risks into sharper focus, with extreme heat, drought and wildfires affecting businesses across Europe. For insurers and risk managers, sustainability is increasingly part of business strategy, influencing claims operations, supplier relationships, repair methods, product development and settlement decisions, alongside growing scrutiny of corporate practices. According to Crawford’s research, 77% of claims leaders surveyed said sustainability is explicitly addressed in their corporate strategy, vision or values.

Sustainability is also influencing who insurers choose to work with; 76% say it is an important consideration when selecting partners or vendors.

Andiara Nordang Fleischer, Crawford’s Nordic regional director, believes sustainability is far more than a compliance exercise. “Claims leaders in the Nordics are not simply following trends. They are actively engaging with sustainability because they recognise its potential to reduce claims frequency and operational costs.”

The claims process can help address vulnerabilities that contributed to a loss. More resilient construction, improved standards and better restoration can strengthen properties against future events and reduce the costs of repeated claims. The question is not simply whether to repair or replace, but whether work can leave a property better prepared for what comes next.

Different market, different approach

Resilience improvements can involve additional costs, however, and may not be covered by existing policies, raising questions about who should fund them and how benefits should be measured. These decisions are further complicated by differences between markets, where regulatory, political and cultural expectations influence how organisations approach sustainability and what is practical or appropriate.

Niels de Kock, president, Europe & Middle East, says Crawford’s global client relationships inform how these expectations may develop across markets.

“Working with the same clients globally gives us insight into sustainability requirements in more mature markets, helping us anticipate what other regions will need and prepare ahead of demand.”

For Andrew Bart, CEO of International Operations at Crawford, the key is recognising that there is no single approach for all markets. “Within different jurisdictions, you’re going to have different degrees of sophistication and different degrees of appetite to deal with the issue of the environmental impact of claims. So, it’s up to us to tailor the way we work, the way we engage, according to local practice. We have to listen, be adaptable and agile.”

Looking ahead, collaboration will be important. Insurers, brokers, restorers, governments and supply chain partners all have a role to play, particularly as expectations around sustainability continue to develop across different markets. The positive impact is clear and the opportunity is clearly there. Now the industry needs to move beyond talking about sustainable claims and start demonstrating the difference they make.