Firm finances, weather derivatives and geography

Pollard, J., Oldfield, J.D., Randalls, S. and Thornes, J. (2008) Firm finances, weather derivatives and geography. Geoforum, 39(2), pp. 616-624. (doi: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2006.03.008)

Abstract

This paper considers some intellectual, practical and political dimensions of collaboration between human and physical geographers exploring how firms are using relatively new financial products – weather derivatives – to displace any costs of weather-related uncertainty and risk. The paper defines weather derivatives and indicates how they differ from weather insurance products before considering the geo-political, cultural and economic context for their creation. The paper concludes by reflecting on the challenges of research collaboration across the human–physical geography divide and suggests that while such initiatives may be undermined by a range of institutional and intellectual factors, conversations between physical and human geographers remain and are likely to become increasingly pertinent. The creation of a market in weather derivatives raises a host of urgent political and regulatory questions and the confluence of natural and social knowledges, co-existing within and through the geography academy, provides a constructive and creative basis from which to engage with this new market and wider discourses of uneven economic development and climate change.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: Weather derivatives, meteorology, economic geography, climate change
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Oldfield, Dr Jonathan
• Authors: Pollard, J., Oldfield, J.D., Randalls, S., and Thornes, J.
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > HF Commerce; G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > G Geography (General); H Social Sciences > HG Finance
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Central and East European Studies
• Journal Name: Geoforum
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0016-7185
• ISSN (Online): 1872-9398
• Published Online: 08 January 2007
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2008 Elsevier
• First Published: First published in Geoforum 39(2):616-624
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.