ISO 22301: Business Continuity in an Era of Global Chaos
For many organisations, business continuity used to mean little more than data backups and a basic disaster recovery plan stored away for emergencies. That approach is no longer sufficient.
As we move towards 2026, businesses are operating in a climate of persistent global disruption. Supply chain instability, geopolitical conflict, extreme weather events, cyber incidents, and increasing regulatory pressure are no longer isolated risks. They are now part of everyday operations.
Insurance providers are responding accordingly. Premiums are rising, risk assessments are becoming more detailed, and insurers are demanding clearer evidence that organisations can continue operating during disruption.
This is where ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management Systems has shifted from a compliance exercise to a strategic business tool.
Why Business Continuity Is Under the Microscope
Insurers are no longer assessing risk based solely on industry sector and turnover. They are asking more detailed questions, including how resilient supply chains really are, what happens if a critical supplier fails without warning, how quickly operations can resume after a flood, fire, cyber incident, or workforce disruption, and whether continuity plans are documented, tested, and maintained.
From an insurer’s perspective, unplanned downtime represents one of the most costly business risks. Claims linked to interruption, delayed delivery, contractual penalties, and reputational damage continue to rise.
As a result, insurers are placing greater value on organisations that can demonstrate resilience rather than simply claim it.
ISO 22301 Evidence Not Assurances
ISO 22301 is the internationally recognised standard for business continuity management. Rather than focusing on hypothetical scenarios, it requires organisations to identify critical activities and acceptable recovery timeframes, understand dependencies on people, suppliers, infrastructure, and IT, assess realistic disruption scenarios, implement proportionate continuity strategies, and regularly test and review their plans.
Certification shows that business continuity is embedded into governance and decision making, not treated as a reactive or informal process.
For insurers, this level of assurance matters.
The Insurance Premium Conversation
One of the most notable shifts around ISO 22301 adoption is that interest is increasingly coming from finance and risk leadership rather than compliance teams alone.
Insurance premiums across many sectors are rising due to higher volumes of claims linked to climate disruption, ongoing supply chain volatility, increasing cyber risks, and reduced insurer appetite for unmanaged exposure.
In some cases, insurers are offering lower premiums, reduced excesses, or improved policy terms to organisations that can demonstrate certified business continuity management. In others, certification is becoming part of renewal discussions.
In practical terms, the reduction in premium achieved by demonstrating ISO 22301 certification can be sufficient to offset the cost of the certification audit itself.
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Why 2026 Insurance Renewals Will Look Different
Looking ahead to 2026, several trends are becoming clear. Insurers are issuing more detailed questionnaires, applying greater scrutiny to continuity and recovery capability, aligning business continuity more closely with financial risk modelling, and showing less tolerance for undocumented or untested plans.
Organisations without a formal business continuity management system may face higher premiums, restricted cover, or urgent demands for evidence under tight renewal timelines.
Those with ISO 22301 certification enter these discussions from a stronger position.
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The Wider Business Value of ISO 22301
While insurance is an important driver, the benefits of ISO 22301 extend far beyond premium discussions.
Certified organisations typically experience reduced downtime during incidents, faster and more structured decision making under pressure, clearer ownership of continuity responsibilities, increased confidence from customers and stakeholders, and stronger alignment with other management systems such as ISO 9001 and ISO 27001.
In an operating environment where disruption is increasingly normal, resilience becomes a competitive advantage.
Business Continuity as a Board Level Priority
The term global chaos may sound dramatic, but for many organisations it reflects daily reality.
ISO 22301 provides a structured and credible way to demonstrate that business continuity is planned, governed, and actively maintained.
As insurance markets harden and expectations rise, business continuity is no longer an operational afterthought. It is a board level issue that directly affects financial stability, insurability, and long term resilience.
For organisations preparing for 2026 insurance renewals, the question is not whether business continuity will be examined, but whether it can be clearly evidenced when it is.
Concerned about rising insurance premiums or business interruption risk?
Complete our short form to request an initial ISO 22301 readiness review and understand whether certification could support your 2026 insurance renewal discussions.
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