As we head on into 2026, all eyes are on what opportunities and challenges the next 12 months will bring. And, if 2025 was anything to go by, it seems as if the only constant we can rely on is change.
From AI implementation to geopolitical upheavals, sustainability concerns to tariff risks – there’s a whole host of change on the horizon. At Beazley, their leadership team has been pondering what this new insurance landscape will look like in the coming months – offering a fresh perspective to both brokers and their clients to not only survive in 2026, but to really thrive.
Tim Turner, Group Head of MAP (Marine, Accident & Political) Risks
Geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty are reshaping the risk landscape, and data centres sit at the heart of both global tension and opportunity. As the backbone of the AI ecosystem, they symbolise progress but also provoke anxiety over building location, societal impact, and the future of jobs - issues that have already fuelled opposition throughout 2025.
So far we’ve largely only seen this dialogue play out in the digital space, but will 2026 be the year it spills into the physical world?
Data centres, already critical infrastructure and flashpoints in a word of rising volatility, are increasingly prime targets for protest and disruption. Governments and businesses must prepare for incidents that threaten data centres and strengthen resilience to keep the essential systems they support running.
This is where Strike, Riots, and Civil Commotion (SRCC), political violence and terrorism, and cyber solutions play a vital role. As AI resistance shifts from rhetoric to reality, insurance must evolve from a simple safety net into a strategic enabler, helping organisations protect assets, keep operations running, and seize opportunities amid uncertainty.
By Jenny Han, Focus Group Leader of Environmental Liability
Once overlooked and forgotten, brownfield sites are fast becoming prime real estate for the next wave of infrastructure. From data centres and wind farms to battery storage facilities, these locations offer an answer to the challenge of sustainable development, and they are critical to the energy transition. As demand for renewable energy and electrification accelerates, brownfields provide the space to build the backbone of a low-carbon economy.
The benefits are clear. Regenerating blighted land, often already located close to existing transport and energy networks, reduces pressure on greenfield sites and revitalises communities. And while society demands greener energy and better infrastructure, few want these projects in their own backyard. Brownfields offer a compromise, repurposing land with a history of industry, rather than consuming untouched countryside.
But environmental liabilities loom large. Former industrial use often leaves behind legacy contamination, chemicals that degrade over time, creating unpredictable conditions. Even with thorough due diligence, site investigations are indicative, not exhaustive. Developers may uncover unexpected pollutants during excavation, facing operational exposures like dust, vapour, or chemical runoff. Extreme weather events, such as flooding, can carry contaminants, impacting nearby sites.
But through insurance, developers can have confidence to invest and realise the opportunities of brownfields, enabling sustainable regeneration and supporting the next energy transition.
Simon Wilson, Head of Open Market Property - UK/RoW
Geopolitical uncertainty, climate risk and supply chain fragility are reshaping how businesses think about energy. In 2026, many property owners will move from relying solely on external energy providers to bringing their energy supply chain in-house. From wind farms and battery energy storage systems (BESS) to nuclear and even emerging fusion technologies, organisations are investing in independent energy sources to secure resilience and business continuity.
Owning energy infrastructure offers clear advantages. From stability and sustainability, to autonomy. Yet, this shift introduces new property risks. As businesses explore innovation, they face vulnerabilities that traditional risk frameworks weren’t designed to handle. Battery systems bring fire risk, wind farms require complex maintenance, and nuclear projects carry significant regulatory and operational exposures. Add to this the growing threat of extreme weather events, which can disrupt continuity and threaten safety – and that’s before factoring in the ever-present danger of cyberattacks.
The insurance industry is responding. Innovators are developing solutions to address these emerging challenges, enabling businesses to embrace energy independence without compromising security. By de-risking investment in on-site generation and storage, insurance becomes a critical enabler of this transformation.
Bethany Greenwood, Chief Executive Officer of Beazley Furlonge Limited and Group Head of Specialty Risks
“Tariff-washing” is poised to join the ranks of disclosure pitfalls like “greenwashing” and “AI-washing” in 2026, highlighting the growing risk of miscommunication or omission around the impact of tariffs on business operations. As trade policies shift rapidly, corporate disclosure faces a persistent challenge- when and how to report tariff impacts, mitigation strategies, and financial implications. Overstating or understating these impacts can lead to severe consequences, from reputational damage and stakeholder mistrust to mounting legal action.
Court cases are beginning to surface, and lawyers are circling for inconsistencies. With AI tools now capable of reviewing every word a company or CEO has ever said, finding contradictions or omissions has never been easier. A single misstep in disclosure could lead to regulatory scrutiny or litigation.
To navigate this evolving risk landscape, insurers and compliance teams must work together to embed best practices for transparency and timely reporting. Clear, consistent communication reduces the likelihood of being called to account and helps safeguard against financial and reputational fallout.
Alessandro Lezzi, Group Head of Cyber Risks
This year has shown how fast a cyber incident can spiral into operational paralysis. And with the JLR attack in September shaving an estimated 0.2% off UK GDP, business face a stark reminder that a single outage can ripple far beyond the confines of IT teams, hitting revenue, reputation, and resilience in real time – and for a long time.
As digital infrastructure grows ever more interconnected, the stakes have never been higher. Ransomware, after a brief lull following the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, has returned with force, now armed with AI-driven capabilities.
The risk extends beyond operations. Boards that fail to manage cyber risk might face long-tail D&O exposure, with shareholder lawsuits over poor preparation, weak response plans, or underinsurance potentially surfacing months or even years later.
In this complex environment, 2026 could be the year a major business suffers long-term damage or even failure from an outage caused by a cyberattack.
In the face of rising threats, businesses need a mindset shift - from panic to resilience. And true resilience isn’t about relying on insurance alone, it means preparing before, responding fast, and recovering stronger. That mindset will shape the cyber landscape in 2026 and be the difference between chaos and control.
Denis Bensoussan, Head of Space
Long dismissed as a reality decades away, 2026 could be the year we learn of the successes of the first tests of commercial nuclear fusion plants. Helion’s Polaris prototype, already in testing, aims to deliver net electricity by the end of 2025, a major milestone for commercial fusion. Meanwhile, Orion, which broke ground in July 2025, is slated for integrated tests in 2027 and commercial ramp-up by 2028.
These developments - alongside progress by Commonwealth Fusion Systems, another well-funded start-up - signal a major shift. With work advancing towards large-scale Tokamak plants expected online in the early 2030s, fusion, long hailed as the ‘holy grail’ of clean and abundant energy, is moving from theory to reality.[2]
And it can’t come soon enough. We live in an energy-hungry world, in large part driven by the relentless demand from data centres, and fusion promises abundant, safe and sustainable power, and long-term energy security.
Yet the path isn’t risk-free. Construction, technology, environmental liability, and performance challenges are just the start. This is where insurance steps in, acting as a catalyst for innovation and the energy transition, enabling projects to scale and giving businesses the confidence to invest in the future.
This article was created in partnership with Beazley.
