- Raging conflicts, polarised politics and a sensitive geopolitical landscape are destabilising the global order.
Raging conflicts, polarised politics, concerning cost-of-living crisis and ever-increasing impacts of climate change are threatening lives and destabilising the global order. Scores of people expect a stormy and unpredictable future in the next few years.
The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2024 reflects some of the most pressing challenges faced by people in every region on the planet. It highlights climate, conflict, economic uncertainty and rapidly accelerating technological change.
The findings are based on the Forum’s Global Risks Perception Survey – a poll responsible for gathering insights from approximately 1,500 global experts from government, business, academia, the international community and civil society.
Threat from misinformation and disinformation dominates list
The 2024 report considers misinformation and disinformation as the most severe short-term threat. It states foreign and domestic actors alike are expected to leverage mis- and disinformation to broaden societal and political divides.
The risk is enhanced by a large number of elections in the near future. More than 3 billion people across the globe are set to head to the polls in 2024 and 2025, including in major economies such as India, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The report raises serious concerns over mis- and disinformation potentially triggering civil unrest on the planet, in addition to driving government-driven censorship, domestic propaganda and controlling the free flow of information.
Climate change dominates list of long-term global risks
In the longer term or a 10-year context, climate-related threats contribute five of the top 10 global risks on the Forum’s list. Before the release of this report, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed 2023 as Earth’s hottest year ever recorded.
The climate agency said global temperatures recorded last year had been higher than in any year going back to at least 1850. But several scientists had seen the announcement coming after a year that experienced a good share of extremes.
The threat of climate-driven extreme events is seen as an immediate one. But there remains disagreement about the urgency of other similar risks such as biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse. Younger respondents showed significantly higher concern about these risks.
“Cross-border collaboration at scale remains critical”
Due to diminishing trust, political polarisation and a sensitive geopolitical landscape, the potential for cooperation is under pressure. The Forum’s 2024 report finds solutions could emerge as part of more localised cooperation from nations, firms and even individuals.
However, given the scale of the economic, political and environmental challenges the global community is facing, the report concludes, “cross-border collaboration at scale remains critical for risks that are decisive for human security and prosperity.”
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The Global Risks Report stresses that amid international cooperation under serious pressure, economies and societies on the verge of failing may only require the smallest shock to edge past the tipping point of resilience.
