The chronic gap between the incomes of the richest and poorest citizens is seen as the risk that is most likely to cause serious damage globally in the coming decade, according to over 700 global experts that contributed to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks 2014 report. [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level1)]
Today’s multipolar world presents four key threats that could each impact global stability in the next five to ten years:
1. emerging market uncertainties, whereby the world’s major emerging markets become unstable as a result of social, political or economic pressure;
2. commercial and political frictions between countries, where trade and investment become increasingly used as a proxy for geopolitical power, with increased flashpoints as a result;
3. proliferation of low-level conflict, caused by technological change and reluctance of major powers to intervene, which could easily spill over into full-scale warfare; and
4. slow progress on global challenges, where persisting deadlock in global governance institutions leads to failure to adequately address environmental and developmental challenges that are truly global in nature.
[/s2If] [s2If !current_user_can(access_s2member_level1)] Subscribe now to access the full version of this article. [/s2If]
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
