The Global Risks Report 2022
01/10/2022
The Global Risks Report 2022 highlighted the most severe risks on a global scale over the next 10 years as; Climate action failure, Extreme weather, Biodiversity loss, Social cohesion erosion and Livelihood crises.
Asked to take a view of the past two years, respondents perceived societal risks — in the form of “social cohesion erosion”, “livelihood crises” and “mental health deterioration”— as those that have worsened the most since the pandemic began.
However, over a 10-year horizon, the health of the planet dominates concerns: environmental risks are perceived to be the five most critical long-term threats to the world as well as the most potentially damaging to people and planet, with “climate action failure”, “extreme weather events”, and “biodiversity loss” ranking as the top three most severe risks.
For the United Kingdom, survey respondents ranked their top five risks as follows:
Risk 1 - Failure of cybersecurity measures
Business, government and household cybersecurity infrastructure and/or measures are outstripped or rendered obsolete by increasingly sophisticated and frequent cybercrimes, resulting in economic disruption, financial loss, geopolitical tensions and/or social instability.
Risk 2 - Debt crises in large economies
Corporate and/or public finances overwhelmed by debt accumulation and/or debt servicing in large economies, resulting in mass bankruptcies, defaults, insolvency, liquidity crises or sovereign debt crises.
Risk 3 - Prolonged economic stagnation
Near-zero or slow global growth lasting for many years.
Risk 4 - Infectious diseases
Massive and rapid spread of viruses, parasites, fungi or bacteria that cause an uncontrolled contagion of infectious diseases, resulting in an epidemic or pandemic with loss of life and economic disruption.
Risk 5 - Extreme weather events
Loss of human life, damage to ecosystems, destruction of property and/or financial loss at a global scale as a result of extreme weather events: cold fronts, fires, floods, heatwaves, windstorms etc.
Find out more by downloading the full report and executive summary below:
