Crisis Communication Strategies from the WEF Global Risks Report 2025: Key Priorities

In partnership with

Dear reader,

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025¹ presents a detailed analysis of the risks that are reshaping crisis communication today.

These interlinked challenges require a shift in strategy for professionals tasked with managing increasingly complex emergencies.

From geopolitical uncertainty to technological disruption, the landscape requires preparation, agility, and collaborative approaches.

In this week's Wag The Dog Newsletter, I share some ideas on how communicators can adjust to these trends.

Let me know which risk you'd like to explore deeper, and in a next edition we’ll go more into detail together with one of our guests.

“Enjoy” the overview 🙄

PS: here’s the audio version

Table of Contents

• Geopolitical and economic challenges

• Environmental risks

• Technological risks

• Social divides

• Diminishing global cooperation

• Generational differences

• Institutional trust

• Building on the UACC Framework

• References and further reading.

• Sponsor

• What I am reading/testing/checking out:

Geopolitical and economic challenges

The increase in trade disputes, conflicts, and geopolitical instability has made cross-border cooperation increasingly difficult. This not only affects political relations but also global business processes and supply chains.

Action steps:

Develop flexible crisis scenarios tailored to regional and cultural differences. Build cross-border partnerships to build trust and ensure a united front in times of heightened tensions.

Environmental risks

Increased weather events and the slow erosion of biodiversity have made climate risks unavoidable. Beyond immediate disasters, environmental degradation poses long-term challenges to communities and organisations³.

Action steps:

Create clear, actionable guidelines for communities facing environmental crises. This could include evacuation plans, resource hubs, or sustainable practises. Work with private and public stakeholders to mobilise resources and scale up efforts.

Technological risks

The misuse of AI and cyber attacks² is fuelling disinformation and threatening security. These risks are technical issues but can be communication crises in their own right.

Action steps:

Run campaigns to improve digital literacy and help audiences recognise and reject false narratives. Work with technology companies to mitigate the spread of misinformation and ensure your own cyber security incident response plans are robust and communicative.

Social divides

Polarisation, inequality, and social fragmentation create gaps in trust that can escalate crises. Without a united public, even well-formulated messages can come to nothing.

Action steps:

Focus on messages that bridge divides and create common understanding. Support community-level initiatives that rebuild trust and promote resilience.

Diminishing global cooperation

As multilateral systems falter, crisis responses increasingly depend on regional alliances and local approaches. Organisations must focus on community-specific responses rather than global solutions.

Action steps:

Strengthen local communication networks and train regional representatives to adapt strategies to their specific context. Encourage grassroots partnerships to ensure that messages are aligned with community priorities.

Generational differences

Risk perception differs greatly between age groups, especially in relation to technology and the environment. Younger generations demand faster and more transparent measures, which are often communicated via their favourite digital platforms.

Action steps:

Tailor messages to different age groups by using the language, tone, and platforms that appeal to them. For example, social media engagement for younger audiences needs to go hand in hand with more traditional communications for older groups.

Institutional trust

Public scepticism towards institutions is a growing obstacle to effective crisis management. People need evidence-based communication and transparent decision-making to restore confidence.

Action steps:

Focus on data-driven communication, emphasising accountability and authenticity. Work with trusted community leaders to strengthen the credibility of the message.

Building on the UACC Framework

As the “creator” of the Universal Adaptive Crisis Communication (UACC) Framework, I find it both encouraging and humbling to see how its principles align with the challenges outlined in the WEF Global Risks Report 2025.

When I started developing this framework, I hoped to address the growing complexity of modern crises. Seeing the potential it has to support communication efforts in an era of polycrises and permacrises reminds me of how much work lies ahead and how important adaptive approaches are becoming.

The UACC framework is still evolving, but its emphasis on cultural sensitivity, emotional intelligence, and audience-centred strategies seems particularly relevant given the interconnected risks described in the report.

It encourages organisations to prepare for cascading risks while making room for the unpredictability that defines so many crises today. It is a tool, not a solution, but I hope it will evolve as the challenges it is designed to address become clearer.

For me, the most rewarding aspect of working on this framework is collaborating with others who bring new perspectives to its application. The WEF report identifies risks that no single framework or strategy can solve, but if the UACC can make even a small contribution to helping professionals respond more effectively, then it is worth refining and developing its principles further.

There is still a long way to go, and that is what makes this work so important—and so fascinating.

References and further reading.

1  Global Risks Report 2025. (2025). World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2025/

2  Hamer, A. (2025, January 22). DNV Cyber research reveals energy companies boosting investment in cybersecurity arms race, to manage the “greatest risk” to the industry today. World Pipelines. https://www.worldpipelines.com/special-reports/22012025/dnv-cyber-research-reveals-energy-companies-boosting-investment-in-cybersecurity-arms-race-to-manage-the-greatest-risk-to-the-industry-today/

3  Wu, Y. (2025, January 22). The Growing Threat of Extreme Weather - Global Center on Adaptation. Global Center on Adaptation. https://gca.org/the-growing-threat-of-extreme-weather/

Sponsor

Use AI as Your Personal Assistant

Ready to save precious time and let AI do the heavy lifting?

Save time and simplify your unique workflow with HubSpot’s highly anticipated AI Playbook—your guide to smarter processes and effortless productivity.

Download the free guide today.

What I am reading/testing/checking out:

• AI Tool: DeepSeek the new Chinese intelligent chatbot on the block

• Article: Analysing the United States in 2025 with the major AI platforms.

• Report: Climate security horizon scanning report results from the UK government

• Online event: the National Environmental Health Association Disaster Readiness Simulation Designer.

• Toolkit: Managing false information in health emergencies

• Science: Agent-based modeling of risk management strategies under varying regimes of environmental change

Let’s meet!

Here are the events and conferences I'll be speaking at. If you're around, feel free to message me, and we can meet up for a coffee or a Negroni.

• 🇧🇪 AI in PR Boot Camp II, 20-21 February 2025, Brussels, Belgium

• 🇦🇪 World Crisis & Emergency Management Summit, April 8 and 9, 2025, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

PS: I hope you've enjoyed this newsletter! Creating it each weekend is a labour of love that I provide for free. If you've found my writing valuable, the best way to support it is by sharing it with others. Thank you for reading!

_{Parts of this newsletter were created using AI technology to draft content. In addition, all AI-generated images include a caption stating, 'This image was created using AI'. These changes were made in line with the transparency requirements of the EU AI law for AI-generated content. Some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you click and make a purchase; however, I only promote tools and services that I have tested, use myself, or am convinced will make a positive difference.}