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• Global Business Risk Outlook 2026: Geopolitics, the Economy, and AI at the Forefront

  

  Key Takeaways

  • Geopolitical risk is the top concern for Corporate Affairs practitioners across every sector surveyed, cited by around two-thirds to more than four in five respondents, depending on the industry.
  • Beyond geopolitics, priorities diverge by sector, with macro-economic pressures and the impact of AI and technology highly salient in services, extractives, ICT, and media, but notably less so in food, agriculture, and beverages.
  • Sector context shapes how risks are perceived and prioritized, with climate change standing out as a defining risk for food, agriculture, and NGO sectors while supply chain disruption continues to rank highly in consumer-facing, food, and extractive industries.

  GlobeScan’s 2026 Corporate Affairs research shows that geopolitical instability has become the single most dominant short-term risk shaping business outlook, regardless of sector. Corporate Affairs practitioners across consumer markets, food, agriculture, and beverages, extractives, finance, ICT, media, and civil society agree that geopolitical volatility now outweighs all other threats, reflecting heightened concern about conflict, trade fragmentation, and political uncertainty. 

  At the same time, the risk landscape is far from uniform. While AI and technology rank among the leading short-term risks for Corporate Affairs practitioners in financial and professional services, as well as ICT, media,and NGOs, they do not appear as a top-tier concern in food, agriculture, and beverages. Instead, climate change is more prominent in these sectors, reflecting their direct exposure to physical, environmental, and regulatory impacts. Supply chain issues also continue to feature as a meaningful risk for several sectors, particularly consumer-facing, food, and extractive industries, underscoring ongoing concerns about resilience and disruption.

  WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

  Today’s risk landscape is defined by a shared sense of geopolitical instability layered with highly sector-specific vulnerabilities. While global tensions frame the outlook for all businesses, climate exposure, supply chain fragility, and technological disruption are felt unevenly across industries. This places Corporate Affairs practitioners at the heart of risk sense-making. The function’s value increasingly lies in helping organizations interpret complex and sometimes competing risk signals, aligning internally on priorities, and engaging externally with clarity and credibility. Businesses that reflect sector-specific risk realities in their positioning and decision-making are better placed to navigate volatility, maintain trust, and strengthen long-term resilience.

  GlobeScan’s upcoming seventh annual Oxford-GlobeScan Global Corporate Affairs 2026 Survey report offers the latest insights into trends, challenges, and opportunities in the field. Sign up here to receive the report.

  Survey Question: What are the biggest risks for global businesses over the next two years? 

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