Insuring Carbon Restraint: Captive Insurance, Parametric Solutions, and Climate Risk

In this episode of The Edge of Risk by IRMI, host Joel Appelbaum speaks with Dr. Marcus Schmalbach, CEO of RYSKEX, about a groundbreaking application of captive insurance and parametric risk transfer to support carbon sequestration. The discussion centers on the Arx Veritas project, which monetizes environmental restraint by leaving fossil fuels in the ground—turning unmined coal into a verifiable and tradable asset. Dr. Schmalbach explains how the captive structure, paired with blockchain-based verification, artificial intelligence, and satellite imagery, creates trust and financial credibility for this emerging asset class. The conversation explores how parametric triggers address complex, forward-looking risks, why third-party validation is essential, and how similar models could scale to oil, gas, and rare earth minerals. He also shares his perspective on the paradigm shift needed for risk professionals to work effectively in the evolving carbon economy.