According to a report released by the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, climate change is the greatest long-term challenge facing the global economy.
However, it is also the one the world is least equipped to face, due to short-term issues sparked by a cost-of-living catastrophe.
The group’s Global Risks Report, issued before its annual convention of government representatives and corporate elites in the Swiss Alpine facility of Davos the following week, presents a dismal forecast.
Professionals
According to a report premised on a survey of 1,200 risk specialists, industry executives, and lawmakers, the environment will pose the greatest challenges over the next ten years.
However, more urgent hurdles are unsettling world leaders, many of whom will be in Davos for roundtables and networking at an event called out for its inability to state a concrete action plan.
52 heads of state, 300 government ministers, and 600 CEOs will head to Davos next week to attend the elitist confab, most of them on private jets.
They will decide how they are going to restrict YOUR lives in the name of climate change.#ClimateScam
— Lord Brouhaha (@lord_brouhaha) January 11, 2023
According to the analysis, failing to curb climate change is one of the most serious hazards in the near future; yet it is the global risk for which we are least prepared.
Members said four of the top ten long-term issues are climate-related: failure to control or acclimate to global warming, natural catastrophes and severe weather, species extinction, and ecosystem collapse.
What might the next 2 years have in store for people around the world?
Learn more in our Global Risks Report 2023: https://t.co/cU2VfQzvMr #risks23@MarshMcLennan @Zurich
Follow our Annual Meeting at Davos from 16 – 20 Jan #wef23 pic.twitter.com/owI6VPEFd5
— World Economic Forum (@wef) January 11, 2023
According to the research, short-term hazards are testing commitments to achieve net zero emissions of heat-trapping CO2. They have shown a gap between what is theoretically necessary and politically acceptable.
In the next two years, the greatest issue will be a cost-of-living crisis, caused by the COVID-19 epidemic, and Russia’s assault on Ukraine, which has caused energy and food costs to skyrocket and squeezed family budgets globally.
Additional aftershocks triggered by the epidemic and the conflict have ushered in a new, darker age for the world economy.
Authorities and monetary authorities face the conundrum of containing inflation by increasing interest rates, which risks triggering a recession, or investing money to shelter people from its worst consequences, which might increase already-high public debt.
Politics
The research also said deglobalization is becoming increasingly popular. The conflict in Ukraine emphasized Europe’s reliance on Russian oil and natural gas. Microchip scarcity caused by pandemic limitations highlighted Asia’s prominence in the semiconductor industry.
According to the paper, economic warfare is becoming increasingly prevalent. As global powers utilize economic strategies both defensively and offensively to curb the growth of competitor states, tensions will increase.
Moreover, society is becoming increasingly polarized.
Economic and social differences are morphing into political ones. Individuals hold divergent views on immigration, sexual identity, abortion access, religion, climate change, and other issues, so contributing to the demise of democracies.
Uncertainty and misinformation from political actors propagating extremist ideologies and manipulating votes through social media “echo chambers” are a significant component, “research stated.
Ransomware and cyber insecurity resulting from the rising connectivity of public services such as transportation, banking, and water systems, which makes them susceptible to online disruptions and assaults, are another developing threat.
According to the paper, the rush to create new technologies in fields such as artificial intelligence, nanoelectronics, and biotechnology will give partial answers to certain challenges. Still, it will also exacerbate inequality since poorer nations cannot afford them.
This article appeared in NewsHouse and has been published here with permission.
