May 20, 2025, Washington, DC – On Monday, May19th, Climate Resilience for All (CRA) received the inaugural Climate Innovation Leadership Award by the California Insurance Commissioner and globally recognized climate leader, Ricardo Lara at the Global Sustainable Insurance Summit in Los Angeles.

 

The award was presented to CRA’s CEO, Kathy Baughman McLeod, in recognition of CRA's pioneering women-focused parametric insurance initiative called the Women's Climate Shock Insurance and Livelihoods Initiative (WCSI).

 

“This award galvanizes CRA's commitment to accelerating innovative heat solutions with and for women on the frontlines of the climate crisis and to building opportunity where it is most needed," said Baughman McLeod. “Deep gratitude to Commissioner Lara for his immense leadership, partnership, and lasting impact over the years.”

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The groundbreaking initiative has protected more than a quarter million informal women workers from income loss due to extreme heat through direct cash payments and proactive measures such as early warning systems and heat health education.

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"Protecting everyone from the deadly effects of extreme heat means rethinking how insurance works so we reach those who are left out and left behind. The creativity and drive of leaders like Kathy Baughman McLeod and Climate Resilience for All are saving lives and livelihoods of thousands of women in India and setting an example for the world,” said California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who sponsored legislation to create the nation’s first heat wave  ranking system, CalHeatScore, and extreme heat insurance study. 

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“Bringing climate insurance solutions to women and outdoor workers here at home is going to take determination and innovation by regulators and policymakers. As California leads the way with the nation’s first heat wave ranking system we couldn't have a better partner than Kathy and Climate Resilience for All," Commissioner Lara added. 

 

First launched in India in April 2024, the WCSI program enrolled 50,000 participants with our partner the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA). 92% of program participants last year received insurance payouts and reported being able to pay for food, children’s school fees, family health care, and gained credit worthiness and restored dignity because of their payouts that went directly to their bank account.​

 

CRA's WCSI program has now enrolled 225,000 informal women workers for this year’s heat season, an increase of 350%. 

 

CRA is expanding the initiative to Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Thailand, and Ghana in 2025, exemplifying CRA's commitment to delivering climate adaptation and income protection for women and vulnerable communities.

 

Climate Resilience for All is the only global NGO dedicated to protecting women in vulnerable communities from extreme heat.

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ENDS ​

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Media Contact: Geraldine Henrich-Koenis, Chief Communications Officer, geraldine@climateresilience.org    

Climate Resilience for All is a global NGO working to protect the health and livelihoods of women and vulnerable communities from the impacts of extreme heat.