Climate change and environmental degradation remain the biggest threats facing the world over the next decade, the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026 shows.
The report, released ahead of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, shows that while governments and markets are increasingly focused on short-term risks such as geopolitical tensions, economic instability, and conflicts, environmental dangers continue to dominate the long-term outlook.
Extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, and the breakdown of Earth’s natural systems are ranked as the top three most severe global risks over the next 10 years.
Half of the top ten long-term risks identified in the report are environmental, underscoring what the WEF describes as a worsening planetary crisis.
In the short term, however, climate and environmental risks are being overshadowed by economic and political pressures. Extreme weather, which previously ranked among the most immediate global threats, has fallen in priority as countries grapple with inflation, debt, trade disruptions, and rising geopolitical rivalry.
The report is based on a global
of more than 1,300 experts from government, business, academia, and civil society. It notes that climate change is no longer a distant risk but a present-day challenge already damaging infrastructure, food systems, and economies through heatwaves, floods, droughts, and wildfires.
According to the WEF, delays in climate action are increasing the likelihood of irreversible environmental damage.
Rising temperatures, ecosystem collapse, and pollution are expected to intensify social and economic pressures, particularly in vulnerable regions.
The report warns that while attention may be shifting to short-term crises, failure to address climate change and environmental degradation now will deepen global instability in the years ahead.
“The long-term risks are clear,” the WEF notes, adding that decisions taken today on energy, land use, and investment will determine whether societies can adapt to accelerating climate impacts or face escalating disruption.
