Enabling Circularity Through Insurance

Insurance rarely makes it onto the radar when people think about the circular economy. But what if it should?

Insurance companies are experts at calculating and managing risk. What this series explores is a less obvious consequence of that role: the concrete levers insurers hold to actively shape how circular business practices scale. From risk assessment and climate advisory services to claims policies and product design, insurance companies have more influence over circularity than most people realize.

Across three conversations with Allianz, Tryg, and AXA, this series explores how insurers are moving from passive risk coverage to becoming a strategic force in driving demand for circular solutions.

What these conversations cover:

• How insurers use climate risk tools and advisory services to help businesses build more resilient, circular supply chains, and why circular strategies are increasingly becoming a risk mitigation measure.
• How a repair-first claims policy can triple repair rates across an entire industry, what it takes to get suppliers on board, and why the math almost always makes sense environmentally and economically.
• How trade-in and device protection programs can extend the lifecycle of consumer electronics, what it takes to scale them, and why they represent one of the most immediate circular opportunities in insurance today.

The common thread across all three conversations: insurers are not just reacting to risk. The most forward-thinking ones are actively shaping the conditions under which circular business models can grow.