Stories by Avery Ellfeldt

A small number of fast-moving wildfires cause almost all the property damage by forcing firefighters to focus on saving lives

Only 2 percent of households in parts of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina that were flooded by Hurricane Helene can get insurance payments

A new approach to calculating wildfire risk shows that more people and places in the U.S. are in harm’s way than previously thought

Both climate-driven disasters and the clean energy transition pose risks for the world’s largest financial institutions

Homes that survive wildfire flames but that are still affected by smoke, soot and ash is a growing issue for homeowners and insurers, as is the question of how to best remediate the problem

Insurance policies for natural resources are aiding conservation around the world

Wildfires have upended the insurance industry, in part because climate change is fueling bigger and more destructive blazes

The Hartford Financial Services Group is the latest insurer to say it won’t offer new policies to homeowners in California

Many states haven’t been able to keep their wildfire risk maps up to date, even as global warming increases the danger, because of funding constraints

About one in five U.S. counties are both socially vulnerable and highly exposed to natural disasters, which could “compound existing inequities,” the Department of the Treasury says in a new report

There is no evidence for Republican claims that considering the environmental impacts of investment is bad for the poor—part of the party’s growing opposition to environmental, social and governance investments

Rising temperatures could increase global inflation by as much as 1 percent every year until 2035

Sensors installed on clients’ buildings detect water levels and immediately trigger the claims process

If regulators finalize proposed rules, financial firms may have to reveal their climate-related risks, and public companies may have to disclose greenhouse gas emissions

If finalized, the rules would require companies to disclose emissions associated with their consumers and suppliers

Higher temperatures and a dearth of snow are extending the fire season

The intent is to blunt the impact of climate change on the U.S. financial system

Consumers can indeed lower their financial carbon footprint once they know how to navigate the hype

Insurance claims for crop losses are soaring

The directive charges federal agencies with assessing the potential economic toll of warming and urging regulators to address it

A widening group of firms is trying to determine how best to measure “financed emissions”

But critics say the commitments are hazy on details

Governments around the world are gearing up to see how vulnerable financial systems are to climate shocks

Weed- and insect-resistant crops have boosted overall yields, but do not improve resilience to dry conditions