Aon Risk Solutions, the global risk management division of
Aon plc, highlighted 2015 as the most lethal year for terrorist violence in Europe in nearly a decade in its yearly Terrorism and Political Violence Map.
According to the report, there was a net increase in terrorism risk ratings, with 18 European countries having experienced an increase in terrorism risk, while 13 nations had decreased risk. For the first time since Aon began the report in 2007, shootings have overtaken bombings as the most dangerous event in the Western world, while targeting of civilians in public spaces has become more common. Since 2015, over three in ten (31%) of attacks in the Western world targeted private citizens and public gatherings.
The global threat of the Islamic State dominated most of the map findings, due to the group mounting an increased frequency of attacks in 2015 and 2016, having affected the US, France, Belgium, and Turkey. Far-right activism and civil unrest stemming from the European migrant crisis and the growing influence of extremist parties have also driven risk ratings up.
“Our 2016 map demonstrates increasing regional instability and a growing spectrum of potential risks,” said Scott Bolton, director in crisis management at
Aon Risk Solutions. “The threats highlighted in the map should encourage business leaders with global footprints to adopt a more strategic risk management approach to limit the impact of attacks on their people, operations and assets. Understanding how they are exposed to the peril is key to achieving this outcome.”
