The Geopolitical Landscape Transformed – Risk Maps 2020

Aon has published its 2020 Risk Maps report, which finds that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will likely transform the geopolitical landscape. Extraordinary public health measures and a precipitous drop in global trade will continue to exert significant pressure on economies and governments and will reshape long-standing geopolitical norms.

Key insights from the report:

• Economic and political nationalism is on the rise as action to protect public health and domestic economies erodes long-established business norms
• Three in five developed economies face the potential for strikes, riots and civil unrest in 2020, which are likely to be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic
• Supply chain resilience is under significant pressure in an increasingly dislocated world
• The economic and political effects from the COVID-19 pandemic will be deep, with state intervention at levels not seen during peacetime.

Aon developed the 2020 Risk Maps in partnership with The Risk Advisory Group and Continuum Economics, which examine political risk, terrorism and political violence globally. Aon’s Risk Maps are designed to help firms better understand and navigate evolving exposures created by these uniquely challenging risks.

In today’s complex geopolitical and economic environment, the maps enable clients to identify and track the different sources and degrees of risk, assisting businesses in planning and protecting assets, contracts and loans that could be adversely affected. This year’s report includes a special analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these themes and the risks they present.