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Wef: unemployment and epidemics at the forefront of global risks (survey)
Unemployment is the top global concern according to executives, in the face of infectious diseases and financial crises. But climate change, with its series of natural disasters, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, is also increasingly among the risks. This is indicated by the report on the ‘Regional risks to do business’ of the World Economic Forum, prepared together with Zurich Insurance and Marsh & Mc Lennan, based on the survey of more than 12,000 business leaders from 127 countries. In fourth place among the main risks are cyber attacks and in fifth place social instability. Financial crises, which were at the top of concerns last year, are less feared this year, while in times of the Covid-19 pandemic, infectious diseases have risen 28 places to become the second most recurring risk, which it appeared in the ‘top 10’ of almost every region covered by the report. In fact, the study photographs the prevailing economic, political and social situation in the different areas. In Europe, epidemics are at the forefront of fears, in the face of cyberattacks, unemployment, financial crises and ‘bubbles’ on the stock markets. Epidemics first at risk also in Eurasia and Southeast Asia and the Pacific, while cyberattacks are most feared in North America, followed by infectious diseases and data theft. In the Middle East and North Africa, the main concern is energy price shocks, in Latin America and the Caribbean poor national governance, in the face of unemployment, which is the greatest risk for South Asia and Sub- Africa. Saharan. The survey ranks 30 risks, including terrorist attacks, extreme weather events, and state collapse or crisis. Risks in the top positions are mainly related to the economy, but climate-related risks are a cause of greater concern this year, with natural disasters escalating seven places, extreme weather events (+5 places), loss of biodiversity and the collapse of ecosystems (+8) and the lack of adaptation to climate change among the preeminent. Other significant changes in the risk ranking, on the other hand, include the drop of six positions in man-made environmental catastrophes, urban planning failures (-7) and terrorist attacks (-9). “Job disruptions caused by the pandemic, increased automation and the transition to greener economies are radically changing the job market. As we begin to emerge from the crisis, leaders have a great opportunity to create new jobs, support existing wages and redesign social safety nets to adequately address the challenges of tomorrow’s labor markets, ”he said Saadia Zahidi. , Managing Director of the World Economic Forum. At the same time, warns Peter Giger, group risk director at Zurich Insurance Group, “Covid-19 distracts us from some long-term risks that will occur long after the end of the current crisis. However, the pandemic also has a silver lining, as it is contributing to a reassessment of priorities by many operators. I hope that this will induce companies to follow their risk resilience strategies and translate into decisive and incisive action in the fight against the most relevant risks, such as climate change ”.
