Zurich Australia will begin climate change training sessions for general insurance brokers this month.

The initial sessions will be in Sydney on Wednesday and in Melbourne on November 17, with Zurich planning to take them to other states next year.

Climate change consultancy Climate Risk will facilitate the training. Included on the program will be an overview of the latest climate science, the impact of climate in brokers’ and customers’ local areas, opportunities posed by a changing climate and adaptation strategies for customers.

The decision to set up the training sessions follows a national survey launched by Zurich with the National Insurance Brokers Association in July that revealed 82% of brokers have dealt with extreme weather events.

More than 75% say their views on climate change have been affected by this year’s weather events, and a similar number believe Australia is experiencing a change of climate.