Climate change: Leading long-term global risk, exacerbating environmental crises
Climate change continues to be an overwhelming concern, with increasingly frequent and severe weather events threatening infrastructure, economies, and lives.

The 20th edition of the Global Risks Report, released by the World Economic Forum, paints a chilling portrait of a world on the precipice of uncertainty. As global leaders and experts surveyed in September and October 2024 reflect on the future, they increasingly see a landscape fraught with escalating risks—geopolitical, environmental, societal, and technological—that threaten to fracture the very foundations of global stability.
Among the most urgent concerns for 2025 is the specter of state-based armed conflict, with nearly a quarter of respondents ranking it as the top immediate risk. The escalating geopolitical tensions, fueled by competition for power and resources, suggest a world on the brink of new confrontations. This is not an isolated threat but part of a broader pattern of rising instability, as nations grow distrustful and divided.
Accompanying this geopolitical volatility are misinformation and disinformation, which remain in the spotlight as major short-term risks. For the second consecutive year, these forces are seen as corrosive to societal cohesion, eroding public trust and deepening divisions within and between nations. The rapid spread of false narratives, amplified by social media and other platforms, undermines effective governance and public confidence, creating a volatile environment for decision-making.
The report highlights extreme weather events, societal polarisation, and cyber-espionage and warfare as additional short-term risks that, while distinct, are interconnected in their capacity to destabilise societies. Climate change continues to be an overwhelming concern, with increasingly frequent and severe weather events threatening infrastructure, economies, and lives.
Looking to the long-term horizon, the report underscores environmental risks as the dominant threat. The collapse of ecosystems, the loss of biodiversity, and the depletion of natural resources top the list of long-term concerns. A rapidly changing climate, already evident in the form of intense weather patterns and rising sea levels, presents a challenge that no nation can tackle in isolation. Pollution, too, emerges as a pressing issue, with growing recognition of its health and environmental toll on both local and global scales.
Yet the risks of the next decade are not solely ecological. Technological risks, particularly those stemming from the spread of misinformation and the uncharted consequences of artificial intelligence (AI), present a looming danger. Experts warn of the unintended consequences of increasingly sophisticated AI systems, which could further entrench societal divides or be weaponized in the realm of cyberwarfare, espionage, and manipulation.
Against this backdrop, the report’s authors express growing concern about the fractured state of global cooperation. While economic risks such as mounting debt and the concentration of strategic resources still loom large, they are less immediate than the broader geopolitical and societal risks that are currently dominating global discourse. Nearly two-thirds of respondents predict a turbulent global landscape by 2035, with many citing an intensification of environmental, technological, and societal challenges. The majority expect some degree of instability within the next two years, reflecting widespread concerns about the breakdown of international cooperation and the erosion of trust in global governance systems.
This fragmentation is a central theme in the report, with experts noting that societal risks, including growing inequality and polarization, continue to escalate both in the short and long term. These factors are compounded by illicit economic activities and the concentration of power and resources in the hands of a few, which further destabilize global systems. The report warns that the world is entering a dangerous feedback loop, where mounting global challenges exacerbate domestic instability, weakening the very governance structures needed to address them.
“From conflicts to climate change, we are facing interconnected crises that demand coordinated, collective action,” said Mark Elsner, Head of the Global Risks Initiative. He emphasized the need for renewed efforts to rebuild trust and foster cooperation among nations. Inaction, he cautioned, would have profound consequences that could echo for generations.
This is a defining moment for global leadership. The next decade presents a critical juncture for nations to confront these intertwined risks, yet there is no easy solution. Multilateralism, long the cornerstone of international cooperation, faces significant strain, with 64% of experts anticipating a future marked by competition among middle and great powers rather than collaboration. Turning inward or retreating into isolation, however, is not a viable solution. As the report underscores, the challenges facing the world are too vast, too interconnected, and too urgent for any nation to tackle alone.
To prevent a downward spiral of instability, the world must find a way to rebuild trust, foster resilience, and secure a sustainable, inclusive future for all. The path forward lies in dialogue and renewed collaboration—strengthening international ties, addressing the limitations of existing governance structures, and working together to create conditions for long-term stability.
As Mirek Dušek, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, put it: “In this complex and dynamic context, leaders have a choice: to find ways to foster collaboration and resilience, or face compounding vulnerabilities.” The question is whether global leaders will rise to the occasion and steer the world toward a more cooperative and resilient future—or whether they will let the forces of division and distrust further unravel the fabric of international relations.