Failure to mitigate and adapt to climate change is the greatest threat facing the world’s economy in 2016, according to the “unprecedented” results of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual survey, released Thursday.
WEF conducted its yearly poll of 750 experts ahead of the body’s summit in Davos, Switzerland next week. The Global Risks Report found that worldwide threats are on the rise this year, and are set to shape the coming global agenda—but it’s the first time an environmental threat has topped the list since its launch 10 years ago.
In fact, failure to mitigate and adapt to climate change poses a greater risk than weapons of mass destruction, water crises, mass involuntary migration, and severe energy price shock, which placed second, third, fourth, and fifth on the list, respectively.