Latest Updates

The UK has experienced a stagnation in productivity growth over the past 15 years, which is affecting the economy and living standards. The Productivity Institute suggests some key priorities to address this issue.

It’s no coincidence that 2023 – the hottest year on record – was the year adaptation and resilience climbed up further than ever on the global climate agenda. But what does climate resilience mean at company level, and how can Chief Sustainability Officers integrate it into their work?

Regulation and innovation often seem worlds apart, but last month’s roundtable discussion highlighted some ways we can bridge this gap.

In this article, Control Risks’ Partner Jean Devlin outlined some key takeaways, including the need for strategic policy-making, the shared cost of resilience and the influential role of the private sector in regulations. Though challenges may seem daunting, the potential for unlocking competitive advantages through a whole-of-society approach to resilience holds enormous promise.

Businesses play a critical role in advancing climate resilience, but there is a need for a universal corporate framework to provide guidance for their actions. How can we steer private sector efforts towards effective communication, adoption of best practices, and informed decision-making?

The rise of disruptive events in today’s complex business environment only emphasises the growing importance of bolstering organisational resilience. And collaboration might just be the secret sauce.

Having been published since 2008, the 190-page National Risk Register (NRR) 2023, shares much in common with an older iconic institution, the ‘Shipping Forecast’. Like the Shipping Forecast, it predicts the future, its accuracy varies, it is listened to, or read, by far more people than actually understand it and ignored by millions who don’t even know about it.

What are the potential implications of the UK’s Resilience Statement? Why is it important? Olu EriOlu, Associate Director, Infrastructure Advisory Group at KPMG, considers three implications of the Resilience Statement for infrastructure organisations.

Decarbonising the world economy is both possible and necessary, and we should approach 2024 with renewed energy about our role as enablers. Explore this insightful take on COP28 by Amy Barnes, Head of Climate and Sustainability Strategy at Marsh.

A thought-provoking piece by Lord Toby Harris, Chair of the National Preparedness Commission, reminds us we live in a TUNA world (Turbulent, Uncertain, Novel and Ambiguous). Lord Harris also highlights how resilience and preparedness at all levels can ensure our survival in chaotic times, as well as give us a unique competitive advantage.

Our COP28 Roundtable on Enabling Private Finance for Adaptation convened senior stakeholders from across sectors to explore the case for resilience investment, current challenges that widen the financing gap, and real-world innovative solutions that have already demonstrated remarkable success in accelerating adaptation, protecting value chains and sustaining livelihoods. Find out our key takeaways.

Gain insights into unaddressed risks to resilience in 2023 with a thought-provoking article authored by Dr. Chris Needham-Bennett and Garth Banks from Needhams 1834 Ltd. Working from home brought about new IT security challenges and changed the dynamics between employers and employees. Quantifying threats and incorporating them into risk registers remains difficult, prompting us to consider what other hurdles to resilience might be overlooked, such as space weather events or potential wars in Europe.

As we look ahead to 2024, several key trends and predictions emerge, offering hope and insight into navigating shifts to the workplace, and dealing with new technology. This article explores some of the most pressing employee struggles and discusses how the future may shape our ability to overcome them.

In the recently unveiled Control Risks Global Resilience Report for 2023, the spotlight is on the evolving landscape of organisational resilience. With data from 640 global business leaders, this report dives deep into shifts in horizon scanning, the spectrum of threats confronting organisations, and the areas they’re fortifying to boost their resilience. Find out the key takeaways.

As climate change continues to pose significant challenges to society, it’s crucial to embrace new technologies to galvanise climate action. John White, Managing Director EMEA at Riskthinking.AI, highlights the role of technology in collecting and analysing climate data to facilitate decision-making, in addition to emphasising the importance of effectively translating climate science into the language of the boardroom.

In today’s world, 99% of organisations rely heavily on digital technology, making it essential to have strong digital resilience. This is especially true when it comes to two critical areas: cyber risks and artificial intelligence (AI) risks. Sheá Panayi, Cyber Risk Consultant, and Arunava Banerjee CISM, Cyber Risk Consulting Lead, at Zurich Resilience Solutions, share their expertise on how to enhance resilience.

Flooding is a natural disaster – exacerbated by climate change – that can have devastating effects on communities and businesses. With the frequency and severity of floods increasing in recent years, it is more important than ever for organisations to prioritise flood resilience.

We sat down with Property Flood Resilience Champion, Mary Long-Dhonau OBE, to discuss why Property Flood Resilience is crucial for businesses, what steps they can take to become more flood resilient, and the potential impacts of flooding on their property, infrastructure, and staff.

In this article we will delve into some of the most dynamic and thought-provoking conversations that took place at the International Risk and Resilience Conference, and shed light on current global challenges and opportunities. Discussions included Martyn’s Law, threats to global supply chains, increased cybersecurity risks and the next big shock that could impact businesses.

We teamed up with our Changemaker Member Marsh McLennan to co-host our inaugural half-day tabletop exercise on 28 September. The exercise provided participants with an opportunity to address key issues, threats, and gaps in organisational resilience through a facilitated discussion. It focused on creating a forum for information sharing across industry sectors and coordination of activities, to advance and sustain resilience programmes, policies, and strategies.

Rod Cartwright, a consultant and expert in crisis risk management, shares ten lessons from the two-day International Risk & Resilience Conference, held at the International Security Expo, providing food for thought for anyone interested in the evolution from downside risk management to positive resilience-building.

Resilience First, Resilience Rising and Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) hosted a private lunch and roundtable discussion with senior corporate climate leaders and resilience experts during New York Climate Week 2023.

Many in the private sector do not yet adequately appreciate the risks and opportunities associated with physical climate impacts, but the demand for corporate climate resilience is steadily increasing.

Last week the UN Secretary-General said that “Climate breakdown has begun…surging temperatures demand a surge in action”. As resilience experts, we are no strangers to adversity. However, the events of this past summer in the Global North have been truly shocking, with the homes, jobs and critical infrastructure of citizens lives severely affected. Dr Jamie Shea CMG breaks down what resilience professionals in both government and the private sector need to be doing about it.

According to the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology’s 2023 report, the average cost of certain cybercrimes has been estimated at £15,300 per business, 32% of businesses recorded breaches or attacks, and there were approximately 2.39 million instances of cybercrime reported in the last 12 months. It’s imperative to stay updated on the latest trends and examples of cyber-attacks to safeguard your business and data.

Ahead of our panel discussion at the International Risk and Resilience conference our member Russell-Cooke gives you some guidance on cyber security and the latest trends.

The UK’s manufacturing base has enjoyed little respite since it came under siege at the start of the pandemic. Business conditions have evolved since then, but not always favourably. While the end of the lockdowns in the UK and abroad, opened markets back up to trade, few predicted that global demand would exceed supply in such a way as to hamstring the sector’s recovery.

With cyber-attacks increasing by 66% in the past year alone, it’s clear that businesses need to make cyber resilience an urgent priority.

The UK Electoral Commission’s recent security breach serves as yet another reminder of just how harmful these attacks can be.

Ahead of the International Security Expo taking place 26-27 September at Olympia London (where Resilience First has curated the programme for the Risk and Resilience Conference), security expert Philip Ingram MBE shares five essential steps to protect your organisation.