Zurich Insurance Group has released its Global Economic and Markets Outlook 2025, highlighting significant shifts in the global economic trajectory. The report underscores a period of flux in the macroeconomic backdrop, driven by recent geopolitical developments, fiscal measures and evolving trade policies.

Estimated insured losses from natural catastrophes on track to exceed USD 135 billion in 2024 worldwide. Europe, in particular, has experienced intense flooding in 2024, resulting in the second-highest insured losses from floods in the region ever, according to Swiss Re Institute's estimates.

Extreme weather enters G20 top five risks following a year marked by record temperatures, severe flooding and wildfires, shows the Executive Opinion Survey, conducted by the World Economic Forum. However, economic threats continue to top the list of concerning issues.

Global life insurance premiums are forecast to grow at an annual rate of 3% in 2025 and 2026, more

According to the recent McKinsey’s Global Insurance Report 2025, published in three chapters covering commercial P&C, personal lines P&C, and life, finding profitable growth is an imperative for the world’s personal and commercial property and casualty insurers, while life carriers must adjust to changing consumer needs.

The Council adopted on 19 November a new regulation on environmental, social and governance (ESG) rating activities. The new rules aim at making rating activities in the EU more consistent, transparent and comparable in order to boost investors’ confidence in sustainable financial products.

The Austrian Association of Insurers (VVO) urges a united response to tackle demographic shifts and escalating climate-driven natural disasters, whose impacts on Austria are deep and long-term. The insurance industry, as a partner to the state, can play a central role in addressing these challenges.

The 280 notable global natural disaster events recorded in Q1-Q3 2024 resulted in economic losses of at least USD 258 billion and insured losses of USD 102 billion, the “Q3 Global Catastrophe Recap – October 2024” released by Aon reveals.

Specialist climate change investment and advisory firm Pollination Group and Howden, leading global insurer, have partnered to produce a joint report: “Through the Wilderness” – a role of insurance in unlocking nature finance.

Cyber and data privacy is the number one risk across the technology, media and telecoms (TMT) sectors, as they become increasingly reliant on innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) to drive growth, according to the Technology Media and Telecoms risk report 2024 published today by WTW, a leading global advisory, broking, and solutions company.

CMR, or the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road, has been mandatory in Europe for international haulage for many decades now. But just how effective is it as a form of carrier liability insurance, and what impact do the gaps in this coverage have on businesses?

The Final Report of the Climate Resilience Dialogue, a special group created by the European Commission in 2021 and co-chaired by DG CLIMA and DG FISMA, laid out recommendations on how to reduce the protection gap caused by climate change.

Around 15 million visitors are expected in Paris between 26 July - 11 August for the Olympic Games, featuring 10,500 athletes from over 200 nations. Billions more will watch the event on TV. German insurer Allianz is the main insurer, with additional coverage provided by many other re/insurers, while security, cyber and climate risks are top reasons for concern.

Mid-year renewals reflected a transitioning reinsurance market meeting demand in a dynamic trading environment, reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter said. Loss-free property programs generally saw easing of pricing, even as demand increased. While casualty programs were also completed with adequate capacity, pricing and underwriting scrutiny persisted due to a variety of market trends.

The high cost of new drug development is among the emerging themes that will have the greatest negative impact on the sector in the next 3-5 years, 63% of life science companies believe - according to WTW’s Global life science risk report 2024.

Based on responses from more than 1,000 risk and HR professionals nationwide, the People Risk 2024 Report released by Mercer and Marsh, businesses of Marsh McLennan (MMC), revealed that ineffective leadership is viewed as the biggest people risk facing organizations today, followed by improper rewards decision making, and increasing health and benefit costs. Risk managers also identified a lack of cybersecurity knowledge and mismanagement of AI as key people threats in 2024.

The health and pharma sector is set to be hardest hit by the adverse effects of AI over the next decade, according Swiss Re Institute. 'Mobility and transport' and 'energy and utilities' are the other Top 3 industries most at risk of the adverse effects of AI technology over the next decade.

According to the Global Transactional Risks Review and Outlook from WTW, a leading global advisory, broking, and solutions company, “adaptation” might best describe last year’s global M&A insurance market, with participants facing volatile macroeconomic conditions and prudent capital deployment. The cautious approach to M&A activity is set to continue in 2024.

In Austria, the probability of meeting a drug driver on the road is high. A recent study shows a further increase in drug drivers by at least 23% in the last twelve months. Yet, only around 3% of them were reported as such, an articles published by the Austrian Association of Insurers (VVO) reads.

The Mercer’s 2024 Global Talent Trends Study findings highlight a staggering shifts at work, pointing to a notable divergence between the views of the C-Suite and HR on what will carry business forward in 2024, and a lag in employees’ views on the impact of technology.