After the mental health issues that appeared on its radar last year, International SOS is adding a key component to its interactive 2024 risk map: the threats posed by climate change. With extreme temperatures and the consequent increase in health risks, weather disruption is becoming part of everyday business life, and one in four organisations has already seen its activities affected. In 2023, the issue even became the second most common cause of alerts issued by International SOS.
Last year, the global specialist in health and safety risk management issued 80 % more medical alerts linked to climate change until 2022. And this, unfortunately, is probably just the beginning. " The extreme weather phenomena observed in 2023 could become commonplace, like the first heatwave called "Cerberus" to hit Europe.notes Dr. Philippe Guibert, Medical Director for International SOS. It is therefore essential that companies prepare for this by adapting the way they work to protect the health of their employees, while taking steps to slow the trend towards higher temperatures." .
However, although nearly three quarters of companies told International SOS that extreme weather conditions would constitute a major threat to their business, the fact remains that this is not the case. a challenge in 2024Half admit that they have not taken climate change into account in their health and safety plans. This leaves them vulnerable.
Gouverner, c'est prévoir. Hence the interest of this spotlighting the impact of climate change on the future risk of humanitarian crises and disasters. The International SOS 2024 risk map includes quantified estimates based on data compiled for the INFORM Climaite Change Index, the result of collaboration between the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre.
The risks are mounting, according to International SOS
Unsurprisingly, while European countries have low risks, tropical and equatorial zones are the most exposed. where the risk ranges from high to very high. Unsurprisingly, unfortunately, and without totally overlapping, these are also the areas in which most of the countries where travellers' safety is least assured are located.
Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Southern Sudan, Somalia: these countries have the highest levels of climatic, security and health risks, with the exception of Congo. Among the top business destinations, Brazil, Mexico and India are at high risk in terms of climate and medium risk in terms of safety.
More broadly, with the emergence of new conflicts such as that between Israel and Hamas, a war in Ukraine that is getting bogged downInternational SOS has observed a steady rise in crime in Ecuador and parts of Colombia. worsening global instability. The perceived level of risk over the next 12 months is said to be the highest ever recorded. In its annual Risk Outlook survey, three out of four of the 675 risk professionals questioned said they believed their organisation would face significant impacts in the coming months.
" In the year ahead, geopolitical tensions, unrest and political instability are likely to have a major impact on business operations.said Beatrix Renaut, Regional Security Manager at International SOS. This is reflected in our risk map, with the Sahel, parts of the Middle East and Ukraine in the 'high' or 'extreme' safety risk category " . However, the picture is not entirely bleak, as the 2024 risk map shows some improvements, particularly in El Salvador and certain parts of Nepal.
One thing is certain, specialists in the duty to protect employees in the workplace have plenty of hair to spare in 2024. According to the International SOS survey, work-related fatigue now exceeds pre-Covid levels. Shared wear and tear because the International SOS report points out that with the accumulation of sources of anxiety in recent years, all employees are on the verge of exhaustion. An additional stress factor for companies.
