MEMBERSHIP In a world faced with uncertainty and mega risks, we seized opportunities for strengthened collaboration and have been proactively representing our members at home and abroad. Working on behalf of members across the UK This year, we have worked closely with the devolved administrations in Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast, sitting on a range of working groups, Committee evidence sessions, constituency surgeries and business group meetings. We have provided our expertise and conveyed the industrys position on policy issues from flooding and cladding to financial wellbeing and climate change, in addition to sharing our work on the cost-of-living crisis. The Scottish Government recognises many of the aims set out in ABIs Climate Roadmap and realises the impact your members can have on our shared goal of reducing emissions. We recognise that public sector investment alone will not be enough to respond to the challenges ahead and private investment is key to delivering a just transition, creating highquality jobs, inclusive growth and improved wellbeing. Kate Forbes MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, Scottish Government One notable example is when the Northern Ireland Executive turned to our expertise earlier this year to rally support among MLAs for its fasttracked Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) Bill to disapply the Vnuk judgment, securing a key deliverable for the industry in Northern Irish legislation ahead of similar progress at Westminster. We have also had an active role sitting on the Welsh Government Health and Safety Forum, the Scottish Governments Financial Services Growth and Development Board, and the new Scottish-London Financial Services Forum with HM Treasury and the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland. Throughout the year, our Director General, Hannah Gurga, has been meeting members across the UK from visits to NFUM in Stratfordupon-Avon to Royal London, Phoenix Group and Scottish Widows in Edinburgh, and touring Avivas greenest UK site in Perth enabling discussions on what matters most to members and how the ABI can support them locally and nationally in our work. Representing the UK sector on the global stage A key area where we use our expertise and relationships with global counterparts to the benefit of members is in shaping international dialogue and ensuring the UK position is represented; this year has been no exception. We have held dialogues with the British Embassy in Beijing to highlight our members footprint and commitment to the market and the wider region, as well as reinforce our interest in helping to develop the Chinese pensions market. While politically there has been a growing divide between the West and China, it was important to reiterate the opportunities for growth for the insurance and long-term savings sector in the UK and to gain insight into market developments there. Elsewhere, as the UK-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations have progressed, we have worked with the Department for International Trade, HM Treasury and the UKs Chief Negotiator to ensure our members concerns about operating in and accessing the Indian market are heard and fully understood. In particular, we raised the issue of cross-border data flows and the need for meaningful agreements on provisions for insurance and reinsurance in any agreement. We were pleased that, in response to industry concerns, an early harvest deal was not pursued in the autumn to ensure that the right agreement be secured. At One America Square, we have been delighted to welcome numerous international delegations to the UK including hosting an exchange of views with the Governor of Nebraska with UK and US insurers, UK regulators and government officials including HM Treasury and the PRA and Nebraskan state officials. We also welcomed colleagues from the Swedish Insurance Society in November for discussions on Solvency II, pension policy and on our climate change and DEI work. Taking our influence further afield, we have represented the UK sector in international dialogues on key issues in Brussels, Washington, Dubrovnik and Prague ensuring that UK firms views are heard as we explore the post-Brexit relationship in Europe. For example, we participated in a UK delegation to Switzerland to represent the UK sector as negotiations for a UK-Swiss Mutual Recognition Agreement continue, and we travelled to Chile to represent the UK at the Global Federation of Insurance Associations (GFIA) General Assembly. There, ABIs Director of Regulation, Charlotte Clark, highlighted the work of the ABI and the UK sector to lead the way on DEI and participated in discussions with global counterparts on the shared challenges of inflation and cost of living, and the global protection gap. Reaction to situation in Ukraine As the scale of the impact of Russias horrific invasion of Ukraine became clear, we reacted quickly to assess the immediate issues, horizon-scan, and monitor real and potential impacts on members and customers. As a result, we were proactive rather than reactive, especially in response to government initiatives and meetings with HMT and DLUHC. Key issues revolved around sanctions, divestment of Russian assets and the heightened risk of cyber attacks and supporting government initiatives, such as the Homes for Ukraine scheme. This included confirming that homeowners taking in refugees displaced by the conflict would not need to tell their home insurer for the first 12 months. We provided clear customer-facing communications on this, as well as the support for other humanitarian aid efforts such as volunteer driving. We have also been proactive in educating customers/ brokers on cyber coverage to help mitigate any potential customer expectation gap in the event of a state-led cyber-attack.