3.7% of WEF Risk Survey Respondents are Optimistic About the Outlook for the World
Posted on 02/07/2022
The World Economic Forum (WEF), in partnership with Marsh McLennan, SK Group, and Zurich Insurance Group, released its report titled, “The Global Risks Report 2022 17th Edition”
The executive summary reads, “The Global Risks Report 2022 presents the results of the latest Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS), followed by an analysis of key risks emanating from current economic, societal, environmental and technological tensions.”
The question – “How do you feel about the outlook for the world?” 23% were worried, 61.2% concerned, 12.1% positive, and 3.7% were optimistic.
The next question – “Identify the most severe risks on a global scale over the next 10 years.”
Most severe to the least.
1. Climate action failure
2. Extreme weather
3. Biodiversity loss
4. Social cohesion erosion
5. Livelihood crises
6. Infectious diseases
7. Human environmental damage
8. Natural resource crises
9. Debt crises
10. Geoeconomic confrontation
World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) 2021-2022
Dataset: A total of 1,183 responses to the GRPS were received. From these, 959 were kept, using as a threshold at least one non-demographic answer.
Respondents
44% Europe
15% North America
13% East Asia and the Pacific
10% Latin America and the Caribbean
6% South Asia
6% Sub-Saharan Africa
41% Business
59% Non-Business
64% Male
34% Female
Org Type
41% Business
17% Academia
16% Government
10% NGO
LINK: https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Global_Risks_Report_2022.pdf
In the 2021 WEF Risk Report, there is an area on FORESIGHT ON FRONTIER RISKS. The 2021 part was written in collaboration with In collaboration with the Global Future Council on Frontier Risks.
Accidental war
An inter-state skirmish escalates to war as governments fail to control action in the absence of accurate information. Weakened multilateralism leads to failure to contain.
Anarchic uprising
Young activists, fed up with corruption, inequality and suffering, mobilize against elites. AI-powered social media is exploited to spread disinformation, fomenting social chaos
Brain-machine interface exploited
Companies, governments or individuals utilize burgeoning “mind-reading” technology to extract data from individuals for commercial or repressive purposes.
Collapse of an established democracy
A democracy turns authoritarian through the progressive hollowing out of the body of law. A legal rather than a violent coup erodes the system, with knock-on effects on other democratic systems.
Geomagnetic disruption
A rapid reversal of the Earth’s geomagnetic poles generates destabilizing consequences for the biosphere and human activity.
Gene editing for human enhancement
Governments begin classified genetic engineering programmes. A class of people is born with genetic capabilities better suited for space, Arctic, or deep-sea survival, setting off a genetic arms race between geopolitical rivals with undetermined ethical consequences.
Neurochemical control
Malicious use of pharmaceutical neurochemicals aims to control adversaries. Governments begin to use these drugs for non-lethal law enforcement.
Permafrost melt releases ancient microorganisms
A warming planet leads to permafrost melt in the Arctic. An ancient virus, unknown in modern science, is released into the air, soil, and water systems.
Deployment of small-scale nuclear weapons
New technology allows for proliferation of low-yield warheads, blurring deterrence frameworks and leading to global nuclear war.
The views in this 2011 section represent those of the Global Future Council on Frontier Risks and not of the World Economic Forum or its partners.