Heatwaves, heavy rainfall, flooding, and drought can disrupt production processes, interrupt supply chains, and damage assets. For businesses, it is therefore becoming increasingly important not only to be aware of climate risks, but also to assess their potential financial and operational impacts and take preventive action at an early stage.
This is exactly where UNIQA Sustainable comes in. As a subsidiary of UNIQA, the company helps businesses identify climate and sustainability risks at specific locations, assess their economic relevance, and derive concrete measures from the findings. The focus is on prevention and long-term resilience.
"For us, insurance means more than covering losses. What matters is identifying risks early, taking targeted preventive action, and helping companies become more resilient in the long term," says Olivera Böhm Rybak, CEO of UNIQA Sustainable.
From organic bakeries to energy facilities, two recent UNIQA Sustainable projects demonstrate how climate risks can affect different industries in very different ways.
For the Austrian company brotsüchtig, the climate risk analysis highlighted the potential impacts of heavy rainfall, flooding, and heat stress on locations and business operations. Based on these findings, concrete areas for action were identified, including emergency and business continuity planning, cooling and energy management, and the diversification of the supplier base.
As a result, assumptions were transformed into a sound basis for decision-making: Where is action most urgently needed? Which measures should be prioritized? And which investments are likely to deliver the greatest benefit?
The detailed implementation of this climate risk analysis is presented in brotsüchtig’s full success story.
A similar objective guided the work with a renewable energy operator in Southeastern Europe, where the goal was to identify potential risks before they materialized. Many energy assets were designed for long operating lifespans and climatic conditions that are now gradually changing. Twelve climate hazards were therefore assessed and their impacts on asset availability, revenue, and business continuity evaluated. The most significant risk factors proved to be wildfire, hail, drought, and heat stress.
Based on the analysis, targeted adaptation measures were developed, including fire-protection vegetation zones around battery storage facilities, weather information systems, and automated protective operating modes. The findings also provide a reliable basis for future investment, maintenance, and site-selection decisions.
The complete success story explains how climate risks are identified for solar and battery storage facilities and what measures can result from the analysis.
"When companies understand which assets, processes, or supply chains are most vulnerable, they can prioritize investments more effectively and reduce risks before losses occur," says Gerhard Sirucek, Managing Director of UNIQA Sustainable.
"Many companies are aware that climate change is relevant to their operations, but they are unsure where to start. We create a clear picture of the risks and show which measures fit the specific realities of each business," says Christoph Kapfinger, Managing Director of UNIQA Sustainable Austria.
The two success stories clearly demonstrate how quickly climate risks can become financially significant. For the renewable energy operator, the analyzed scenarios indicated potential losses of up to EUR 3 million. At brotsüchtig, potential business interruptions of up to 265 days were identified. The value lies not only in the numbers themselves, but in making climate risks economically tangible and highlighting where action is required.
Climate risks cannot be completely avoided. However, the extent to which a company is prepared for them can be influenced. This makes it all the more important to consider climate-related developments today when making decisions about locations, infrastructure, supply chains, and investments.
A climate risk analysis provides the foundation for these decisions. It identifies relevant risks, helps prioritize actions, and strengthens operational resilience over the long term.
Companies that would like to understand which climate risks are particularly relevant for their locations and operations can start with a non-binding initial consultation with UNIQA Sustainable's experts.
Learn more about how UNIQA Sustainable's climate risk analysis works and how companies can benefit from it.
For us, insurance means more than covering losses. What matters is identifying risks early, taking targeted preventive action, and helping companies become more resilient in the long term.
