New Zealand insurers have backed a government climate adviser’s call for action to increase resilience against storms, floods and other natural perils.

Insurance Council of NZ CEO Kris Faafoi says the “message is clear” in the Climate Change Commission’s national risk assessment.

“New Zealand must act to get ahead of growing climate risk,” Mr Faafoi said. “Building resilience to risks such as floods, coastal inundation and erosion will help protect families, businesses and communities and maintain insurance accessibility.”

The commission, an independent government agency, released the report last week, setting out how climate change risks affect the economy, society, environment and ecology.

The paper “assesses the nature of the risks, their severity and the need for co-ordinated actions to respond to them. This will help inform the government's next national adaptation plan, due in 2028,” the commission said.

The report says climate change is changing “normal” conditions, with damaging events to increase in frequency, severity and unpredictability.

“Fifteen years ago, damaging storm events happened about once a month – now it’s more like once a week,” commission CEO Jo Hendy said. “With more extreme weather and global pressures like the energy crisis, building resilience has never been more important.

“By focusing on where risk is highest, impact is greatest, and making sure we get the basics right, a co-ordinated plan can be created that strengthens the country’s resilience.”