Global leaders pointed out that the escalating armed conflict is the most urgent threat in 2025, however, the climate emergency is expected to cause the greatest concern over the next decade, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The WEF asked more than 900 leaders from business, politics, and academia about the risks that most concern them.
The report identifies and analyses the most crucial risks across immediate, short, and long-term horizons, aiming to equip leaders with foresight to address emerging challenges.
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Notably, 23 per cent of respondents feared "state-based armed conflict" ahead of next year, as the Russia-Ukraine war continues and other major deadly clashes continue, including in Sudan and Gaza.
Moreover, in line, "extreme weather events" is the second most common risk, highlighted for 2025, singled out by 14 per cent of respondents.
This comes as devastating wildfires have engulfed Log Angeles, leading to the evacuation of millions of people.
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A series of dramatic floods, droughts, and fires raged through last year, underlining the impact of the climate crisis on weather patterns.
According to the scientists' findings, global heating makes such events more likely, and in many cases, it makes them extreme.
Gim Huay Neo, the WEF’s managing director, said, “The climate and nature crisis requires urgent attention and action. In 2024, annual global warming reached a record 1.54C above the preindustrial average, with many parts of the world experiencing unprecedented, catastrophic weather events.”
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Further, two concerns related to technological innovation were next on the list of threats, "misinformation and disinformation”, followed by “adverse outcomes of AI technologies”.
Other leading short-term risks include extreme weather events, societal polarisation, cyber-espionage, and warfare.
Moreover, over half of respondents expected some instability within two years, which shows the widespread fracturing of international cooperation.
(With inputs from agencies)