Each year in Australia, we see homes destroyed and billions spent on rebuilding due to severe weather events. And even more troubling is that these are now occurring with more ferocity and frequency.

There have been more Category-5 cyclones in the last 20 years than in the preceding 100. Severe flooding is occurring 30% more often in the Pacific region. And calamitous bushfire seasons are starting earlier, and burning for longer.

In other words, Australian homes simply aren’t built to withstand Australian weather. In 2020 alone, 134,000 homes were damaged.

Even as you read this, there are over 100,000 homes in North Queensland that are below minimum standard for cyclone safety, and 90% of homes in bushfire-prone areas across Australia which aren’t built to standard.

Problem definition: The place Australians think of as being safest - their homes - is increasingly vulnerable to a world experiencing rapid climate change.

AS OUR CLIMATE CONTINUES TO CHANGE SO MUST THE ROLE OF INSURERS

As one of Australia’s largest insurers, Suncorp is acutely aware of the problems of climate change. At present, 9-in-10 natural disaster claims include damage that could’ve been avoided if homes were built more resilient to begin with.

The task was to break the cycle of repetition, and to fundamentally change what role an insurer plays when the worst has happened.

AS OUR CLIMATE CONTINUES TO CHANGE, SO MUST OUR HOMES

With over 100 years’ experience, Suncorp has a long history of supporting communities whose homes have been lost to natural disasters.

Understanding that current building codes have been rendered obsolete by modern climate change, we looked to create a new standard.

Along with experts in natural disasters and home resilience from James Cook University, the CSIRO (Australia’s leading science agency), and Room 11 Architects, we set out to design, test, and construct a house purpose-built to withstand severe weather events.

This house would serve as the new blueprint for communities preparing for climate change.

Strategic solution: To shift Suncorp’s role - from recovery to resilience - by creating an entirely new standard for Australian homes.

Insurance is traditionally a low interest category, mainly driven by price. But this project has put Suncorp at the heart of public discourse around climate change. Sparking public debate around the need for more resilient buildings in Australia. ‘One House’ is being used as a case study in resilience by both government and private institutions, establishing Suncorp as a leader in the space.

The campaign is already having a tangible effect on customer’s lives.

As a result of the project, Suncorp has created a new industry-first product. The “Build it Back Better” promise applies the resilience learnings from One House to every home they rebuild. Many homes have already been rebuilt to this standard after another year of devastating storms and flooding across Australia. Making entire communities stronger.

Suncorp are teaching Australians how to build resilience into their own homes, and rewarding customers who do so. Helping break the cycle of destruction and heartache.

Led by Suncorp, the Insurance Council of Australia has since launched Project Resilience - which aims to embed resilience into the National Construction Code by 2025.

And several weeks after launch, the Federal Government announced a $600m resilience fund for new disaster preparation and mitigation programs.

One House sparked a national conversation around how Australians think about their homes:

Reached over 99% of its target audience.

Covered across all major Australian networks - 20M+ earned impressions.

The documentary aired multiple times on a major broadcast network (channel 9).

Over 110,000 unique visitors to the website. 3.7minutes average dwell time.

Inquiries from 13 leading industry, government and research stakeholders.

The business impact has also been significant:

Consideration grew from 40% to 45%

Market share in home insurance has gone up 7.3%.

Increase in new business calls by 8.7%

Increase in home insurance quotes by 24.6%

Increase in home insurance new business by 11.6%

NPS grew from 6.4 to 14.4 - a record high for Suncorp.

As a result of the learnings from One House, Suncorp created a new industry-first product - “Build it Back Better” - which applies the resilience learnings from One House to every home they rebuild.

Led by Suncorp, the Insurance Council of Australia has since launched Project Resilience - which aims to embed resilience into the National Construction Code by 2025 and the Federal Government has since announced a $600m resilience fund for new disaster preparation programs.