Global Risk Landscape Report 2026

Risk everywhere: extending ownership beyond the risk function 

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Global Risk Landscape Report
Risk doesn't wait. It compounds. What were once isolated risks are now deeply interconnected, fast‑moving threats amplified by geopolitical instability, technological disruption and economic volatility. For business leaders, change and disruption are no longer the exception, they have become the baseline. 

The Global Risk Landscape 2026 report explores how organisations can respond to this new reality by rethinking how risk is understood, owned and acted upon. Drawing on insights from 500 C-suite executives across major global markets, the report reveals where organisations are most exposed today and where traditional risk approaches are falling short. 

Key insights from the report include: 

  • Why uncertainty is now structural, and why waiting for stability is no longer a viable strategy, as 80% of business leaders say the global risk environment is more defined by crisis than ever before 
  • How geopolitical risk has become the multiplier shaping all other risks, from supply chains to cyber and regulation 
  • Why cyber is now a top three risk organisations feel unprepared for, despite rising investment 
  • How fraud risk is being underestimated as AI-powered fraud accelerates: 93% of leaders do not see fraud as a top risk 
  • Why AI is amplifying governance and control weaknesses rather than addressing them: only 13% of organisations are actively updating defences against AI-driven fraud, down from 79% a year ago 
  • The case for shared, cross-functional ownership of risk that enables faster, confident decision-making 

The pace of change means businesses can no longer sit on the sidelines and wait for conditions to improve. They must be ready to act decisively and take calculated risks, even when the path ahead may be unclear.

Koen ClaessensGlobal Head of Risk Advisory Services, BDO Belgium

The findings reveal a growing divide between organisations that treat risk management as a defensive, siloed function and those that embed risk thinking across the business. In an era where the cost of inaction can be existential, the ability to act with confidence, even with incomplete information, is becoming a competitive advantage.  

This report covers what businesses need to change, why it matters, and what leaders can do now to make the shift from reacting to risk to shaping outcomes. 

Gain deeper insight into the risks shaping 2026 and how leading organisations are responding.  

Download the Global Risk Landscape Report

Trend report

Want to go deeper?

Our Trend Report "The business world in 2030" explores how organisations can build lasting resilience in the face of geopolitical, technological and economic disruption. The risk landscape is one piece of that puzzle.  

Read the Trend Report