French businesses now have a new resource to help quantify the financial and operational risks posed by a changing climate. Launched December 11, the free, web-based tool – macarto-climat.fr – was developed collaboratively by Amrae, Ademe, and the DGE to assess vulnerabilities across a company’s entire value chain. With climate-related disruptions increasingly impacting supply chains and bottom lines,the request aims to move businesses beyond carbon reduction goals toward proactive adaptation strategies,though experts caution that a company-wide approach is vital for effective implementation.
French companies now have access to a free tool designed to help them assess their vulnerability to climate change risks. Launched on December 11, the application – macarto-climat.fr – was presented at a press conference by its developers: Amrae, the Association for Enterprise Risk and Insurance Management; Ademe, the French Agency for Ecological Transition; and the DGE, the General Directorate of Enterprises (part of the French Ministry of Economy and Finance).
The self-diagnostic tool aims to measure how exposed a company’s operations are – including supply chains, networks, human resources, logistics, and customer base – to various climate risks like heatwaves and floods, as well as the company’s current ability to manage those risks. The tool is particularly relevant as climate-related disruptions increasingly impact global business operations and supply chain resilience.
Violaine Poulain, a member of Amrae’s “adaptation” working group, illustrated the tool’s functionality with an example: “It will verify the evolution of the hazard, strong heat, on the orchards of its suppliers in 2030.” According to its creators, the free and user-friendly tool can provide a comprehensive overview “in a few hours.”
However, Robert Bellini, Deputy Director of the Climate Department at Ademe, cautioned that “addressing adaptability is a project that concerns the entire company,” including Chief Financial Officers, Human Resources departments, and risk managers. The stakes are high, according to Michel Josset, Vice President of ESG/Climate at Amrae, who noted that “the climate change already has numerous effects on economic activities.”
Beyond major disasters, seemingly less dramatic events can have significant consequences. For example, prolonged heatwaves can disrupt outdoor work and industrial processes, impacting productivity and even posing a risk to worker safety. “For some activities, in outdoor construction or in an industrial environment, you have to prepare for such temperatures. They have an impact on people and involve a risk. There can be deaths. There is also an economic impact with a decrease in productivity,” Josset explained.
Water stress, leading to potential restrictions on industrial water use, is another concern. Josset also highlighted a growing trend: “more risks and less insurance,” as the changing climate destabilizes the insurance market, leading to modified policy conditions, increased deductibles, and higher premiums.
Risk of Climate Cacophony
One benefit of the self-diagnostic tool is that it encourages companies to proactively adapt to climate change, rather than waiting to become victims of its effects, Bellini said. Currently, Sandrine Berthet, Delegate for Ecological Transition at the DGE, noted that businesses remain “little sensitized” to this issue. “In the economic field, we talk a lot about decarbonization. Companies have seen an aspect of competitiveness in it. But adaptation is a major issue. It is the sustainability of businesses that is at stake,” she stated.
