The geopolitical implications of climate change

09/27/23 • 35 min

This summer we saw Europe experience an unprecedented heatwave, the worst heatwave since records began. Added to this, we have seen an increasing number of devastating wildfires, and Beijing has seen its worst flooding in 140 years. Not only is the impact of climate change causing devastation in countries ranging from Ethiopia to Pakistan, but the further implications of climate change will also create secondary challenges including poor harvests and migration flows.

The UN predicts 1 billion people will be displaced by climate change by 2050, with 10% of those moving to areas of the world not affected by climate change. The migration of this many people will majorly impact the societies of these regions and create further security issues.

In this episode of Geopolcast, Elisabeth Braw, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses the implications of climate change with Lieutenant General Richard Nugee, Non-Executive Director of Climate Change and Sustainability at the UK Ministry of Defence, and Helene Galy, the Managing Director of WTW’s Research Network.

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The rising risk of cyber threats

The more educated citizens and companies have become about Cyber threats, the more advanced the threats have become. Today, the threats have progressed from traditional scam emails to the ever-increasing presence of ransomware attacks, testing the resilience of larger organisations. Ransomware is now a prime example of business development in the criminal world, mostly innovation around gaining money from people.

With this, underwriters are increasing the pressure to ensure companies are protecting themselves; not only their defence, but also their resilience and recovery when targeted. In some instances, businesses are able to convert back to offline processing and operations when under threat, however in some industries and sectors that's not possible. This is a continuous problem requiring the upmost diligence, not only affecting businesses but society as a whole.

In this episode of Geopolcast, Elisabeth Braw, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses the rising risk of cyber threats with Staffan Truve, CTO of Recorded Future, and Tom Srail, WTW’s Executive Vice President for Cyber Risk.

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The power and pitfalls of sanctions

Sanctions have emerged as an instrument in the toolbox of Western governments. The effectiveness of sanctions, however, remains a subject of debate, with experts trying to gauge their impact on the targeted countries and their repercussions on Western corporations. A standout example illustrating the complex dynamics of sanctions and geopolitics is the ongoing case of Russia. This situation holds exceptional significance due to the unparalleled breadth of sanctions imposed and Russia's status as a prominent global player and a member of the UN Security Council. This case highlights the interplay between geopolitics and sanctions on a global scale. As countries continue to navigate this complex landscape of sanctions, their effectiveness and broader geopolitical implications will remain topics of scrutiny and debate. In this episode of Geopolcast, Elisabeth Braw, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses power and pitfalls of sanctions with Sir Laurie Bristow, veteran diplomat and previous Director of Intelligence and National Security, and Sam Wilkin, WTW’s Director of Political Risk Analytics.