NEW YORK, September 22, 2026 — New research published today by Marsh (NYSE: MRSH), a leading global professional services firm, reveals that organizations are broadening and strengthening their approach to climate adaptation as their experience of extreme weather grows – but significant gaps remain in formal strategy, system-level resilience, and the translation of adaptation investment into insurance outcomes.
Marsh’s 2026 Climate Adaptation Survey analyzes the responses of more than 120 organizations globally and reveals critical insights into how they are responding to evolving climate risks. According to the research, 43% of respondents experienced losses and/or disruption from extreme weather in the past three years, with 60% reporting impacts from multiple perils. Compared to 2025’s results, flooding remained the leading peril (62%), while heat stress rose to second place (36%), ahead of water stress (34%) and tropical storms (25%).
“The opportunity in 2026 is to close the gap between assessment and action by linking risk intelligence to business continuity, capital planning, operational decisions, and insurance strategy,” said Amy Barnes, Head of Climate and Sustainability Strategy and Global Head of Energy & Power, Marsh.
“Organizations are clearly moving in the right direction: they are assessing more perils, using more quantitative analysis, and looking beyond their own assets to the systems on which they depend. The next step is to turn these insights into funded, measurable adaptation strategies – and to communicate the evidence clearly so resilience investment can support better risk and insurance outcomes.”
Organizations are taking practical steps, particularly around business continuity and physical resilience. More than half (54%) reported improving business continuity planning, while 40% reported investing in asset engineering such as flood defenses. However, only 26% said their adaptation measures had been recognized in insurance negotiations, with 62% of respondents concerned about insurance availability and/or cost of insurance for their asset(s) worsening in the next five years.
The survey points to a broader and more structured approach to assessing future risk. Among organizations conducting assessments, 87% considered multiple perils, reflecting the reality that climate impacts rarely occur in isolation. The survey notes that 77% of those assessing risk now combine qualitative and quantitative methods. This represents an increase since the 2025 research, which found that only 52% of organizations used this approach. Organizations are also looking beyond their own assets to the systems on which they depend when assessing risk: critical infrastructure ranked third in the 2026 assessment scope, up from fifth in 2025, while suppliers ranked fifth, up from sixth.
Encouragingly, the 2026 results show that assessment quality is beginning to translate into action: the majority of organizations (78%) are now considering or developing adaptation strategies, and a quarter (26%) already have a formal plan in place. However, this leaves 22% of organizations without a known adaptation plan, suggesting that while progress is clear, there is still meaningful work to be done.
Marsh recommends that organizations focus on five priorities:
Marsh (NYSE: MRSH) is a global leader in risk, reinsurance and capital, people and investments, and management consulting, advising clients in 130 countries. With annual revenue of $27 billion and more than 95,000 colleagues, Marsh helps build the confidence to thrive through the power of perspective. For more information, visit marsh.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X.
US & Canada Media Relations Leader, Marsh Risk & Marsh Re
