Campaigns are an important part of our policy and public affairs work, reflecting the IFoA’s objective to be the voice of the profession.
Our campaign objectives
Our campaigns’ primary goals are to:
- Raise awareness of issues with actuarial relevance, reflecting the IFoA’s duty to promote the public interest under our Royal Charter.
- Identify proposals that the actuarial community broadly supports, and that will have credibility with political stakeholders, including specific changes to legislation, regulation, or policy
Analysis and evidence in our campaigns
Actuarial analysis and evidence are at the heart of all our campaign work. If external sources are not available, we generate the evidence in-house. IFoA-led research helps us to better integrate our policy, thought leadership, and advocacy activity.
In some cases, we carry out research collaborations with partner organisations, not only benefiting from their expertise but also strengthening relationships. Member-led research can also provide the evidence-base we need for an effective campaign.
Sustainability papers with climate scientists
We have produced a series of reports with scientists at University of Exeter, Climate Crisis Advisory Group, and Anglia Ruskin University.
The papers explore the risks associated with climate change and build a stronger case for climate action.
- Tipping into the wild unknown – warns that biodiversity loss, climate shocks and geopolitical conflict are disrupting the food system, risking catastrophic impacts for society. | Anglia Ruskin University
- Parasol Lost – argues that a Planetary Solvency plan is urgently needed to avoid catastrophic societal and economic impacts. | University of Exeter
- Planetary Solvency – provides decision-useful risk information to support policymakers to drive human activity within Earth’s finite bounds. | University of Exeter
- Climate Scorpion – shows that climate risks are complex, interconnected, and could threaten the basis of our society and economy. | University of Exeter
- Emperor’s New Climate Scenarios – looks at how actuarial risk-management techniques can be applied to the climate change problem. | University of Exeter
- Climate Emergency – tipping the odds in our favour – explores how actuarial risk-management techniques can be applied to the climate change problem. | Climate Crisis Advisory Group
Pension Gaps
In 2024, we highlighted how life’s decisions can reduce retirement income. This was the first phase of a campaign on pension gaps, igniting a national conversation on pension gaps and the hidden costs of life’s decisions on retirement income.
For the campaign’s second phase in 2025, we went deeper, working with market research specialist Ipsos to illuminate the human stories behind the numbers.
Who cares? Exploring attitudes to social care in the UK
The Casey Commission, an independent commission into adult social care led by Baroness Louise Casey, got underway in 2025. The commission has been a long-awaited opportunity for the actuarial profession to contribute its skills and expertise to the policy debate on social care.
The IFoA’s Social Care Working Party examined public attitudes towards saving for social care in its report ‘Who cares? Exploring attitudes to social care in the UK’. The paper, informed by a commissioned YouGov survey, includes the alarming finding that 77% of UK adults have done nothing to prepare for long-term care.
Great Risk Transfer
Here we explore the trend to transfer risks from institutions – such as employers, the state, and financial services providers – to individuals.
Beyond the Next Parliament: the case for long-term policymaking
As experts in long-term risk management, the actuarial profession is advocating a return to long-term thinking. Over the past few years, in the run up to elections, we have produced a series of policy prospectuses. They suggest ways in which government and others can take an alternative approach to ensure a longer time horizon is considered in the policymaking process.
Beyond the next Parliament: The case for long-term policymaking
