Michael Peterson is the inaugural Deputy Commissioner of the Climate and Sustainability Branch for Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara at the California Department of Insurance. In this role, he leads multiple initiatives to reduce climate risk and strengthen resilience, including work on the California Climate Insurance Working Group (, which focuses on resilience through closing protection gaps and employing nature-based solutions. Dr. Peterson also leads a partnership with the United Nations Principles for Sustainable Insurance (UN PSI) that developed the California Sustainable Insurance Roadmap (https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/180-climate-change/The-Sustainable-Insurance-Roadmap.cfm), released in 2022 and the first sustainable insurance strategy and action plan of its kind, including new steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, close insurance protection gaps, and accelerate climate resilience. Previously, he was a policy consultant in the California State Senate, focusing on climate change, natural resources, air quality, and energy policy. Dr. Peterson has a background researching biology and physiology, earning a PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from the University of California, Berkeley, and a masters degree from Western Washington University.