What is the impact of climate change on housing and insurance? This is the subject of a white paper published by the mutual insurance group Covéa. Details from Charlie Cailloux, legal counsel for Particular to particular and the PAP.fr website.
franceinfo: Why is an insurance group worried about climate change?
Quite simply because it is the insurance companies that compensate the claims caused by global warming (floods, droughts, storms). They are at the forefront of observing the consequences of global warming, and the report published by the insurance group is eloquent.
On a global scale, the 2011-2020 decade is the hottest ever observed and in France, since 2015 there has been a drastic increase in claims, we can cite a few events: in 2015, torrential floods on the Côte d’Azur and the Cannes region; 2016, exceptional flood of the Seine, more than one billion damage; 2017, two huge cyclones on the islands of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy; 2018, 2019 and 2020 were marked by a succession of droughts.
What is worrying is that the report foresees an aggravation and intensification of these events.
Exactly what are the forecasts?
The study is based on the most pessimistic scenario of the IPCC report, i.e. an overall increase in planetary temperature of 5°C, by 2100. This is the most pessimistic scenario, but unfortunately not the most unlikely.
By 2050, with global warming, Covéa predicts, in France, a 110% increase in damage due to flooding, 130% for torrential floods (110, 130, it is more than double), but also a 60% increase in claims related to drought, and 20% for those related to hail.
It is rather alarming!
Yes, there is nothing to cheer about! The only “good news” is that there will be, a priori, no more storms. Beyond the insurance premiums that could increase, the insurance group is focusing on prevention, in particular adapting housing and making it more resilient to hazards.
For example, experiments are being carried out to equip houses located in flood-prone areas with watertight doors or cofferdams.
How do you know if a piece of land, a building or a house is affected by natural risks?
You should consult the Plan for the Prevention of Foreseeable Natural Risks (PPRNP) at the town hall. In the event of sale or rental, the seller or the lessor must include a statement of risks and pollution in the technical diagnosis file. Since October 2020, sellers of land located in areas with a high risk of shrinkage – clay swelling, must provide a soil study to their buyer.