Climate risk is becoming more complex, more systemic, and more immediate. Effective adaptation now goes beyond protecting physical assets, operations, and people — it also depends on the suppliers, infrastructure, and wider systems organizations rely on, Marsh’s Climate adaptation 2026 survey says.
New research published by Marsh, 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 Risk’s 2026 Climate Adaptation Survey captures the views of more than 120 organizations across eight regions. It looks beyond physical assets to examine the wider network of operations, people, suppliers, infrastructure, and communities they rely on — revealing where resilience is strengthening, where vulnerabilities still persist, and where the greatest opportunities for action lie.
The survey shows that, despite facing multiple climate-related hazards, many organizations are not conducting forward-looking assessments. And among those that do, many are not acting on the results. For example, 60% of respondents are grappling with multi-perils, such as flood, extreme heat and water stress, yet only just over half of the respondents are conducting an assessment.
“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”, Amy Barnes added.
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:
- Modelling the combined effects of acute and chronic hazards.
- Assessing vulnerabilities and dependencies at both asset and system level.
- Establishing measurable adaptation plans.
- Documenting resilience improvements in a form that can be shared with insurers and capital providers.
- Collaborating with governments, infrastructure providers, communities, and industry peers to address risks beyond organizational boundaries.
The survey can be found here.
