The Global Risks Report is an annual publication by the World Economic Forum (WEF) ahead of their annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Each year, it monitors the global risk landscape by assessing likelihood and interconnectedness of risks based on data collected through the annual Global Risks Perception Survey, completed by approximately 800 members of the Forum’s diverse communities.
The 15th edition of the report is structured along six chapters, each concerned with a major global risk.
Chapter 1 discusses the unnsettled geopolitical landscape and tendencies to move away from multilateralist approaches.
Chapter 2 discusses the increasing risk of economic stagnation.
Chapters 3 and 4 deal with risks associated with climate change and biodiversity loss. Mentionably, this year, for the first time in the history of the publication, environmental concerns comprise all five of the greatest risks by likelihood and three of five in terms of impact in the Global Risks Perception Survey.
The following chapter deals with the consequences of digital fragmentation, such as unequal access to the internet, lack of a global technology governance framework, and cyber insecurity. Lastly, chapter 6 illuminates how health systems are lagging behind in tackling modern challenges.
Overall, the publication urges readers in the business, academic and public-sector communities to acknowledge the need for a multistakeholder approach to mitigating global risk.