Global Risks Report 2026: Ready for the risk inventory ’26?
The Global Risks Report 2026 shows: The risk environment is becoming more complex. An updated risk inventory is crucial for banks in order to identify geopolitical, macroeconomic and technological risks at an early stage and make them manageable.
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Global Risks Report 2026: Ready for the risk inventory '26?
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Do you have an eye on current developments for your 2026 risk inventory?
For banks and savings banks, the risk inventory is far more than just a regulatory obligation. It is the central starting point for forward-looking risk management – and therefore for strategic resilience.
The Global Risks Report 2026 of the World Economic Forum (WEF) clearly shows this:
The risk environment has not only become more volatile, but also more complex, faster and more interconnected than in previous years.
While traditional risk types remain relevant, weightings, interdependencies and probabilities of occurrence are shifting. For the 2026 risk inventory, this means that ‘business as usual’ from previous years is not enough. Institutions must consistently align their risk analyses with current global and regional developments.
Three top risks for banks in Europe and Germany in 2026
The Global Risks Report 2026 identifies a large number of global risks. For banks in Europe, and Germany in particular, however, three risk areas have crystallised for 2026 that deserve special attention in the risk inventory:
Geopolitical and geoeconomic confrontation
According to the report, geoeconomic tensions are considered the most serious global risk in the short term. Tariffs, sanctions, export controls, subsidy regimes and the fragmentation of global value chains are increasingly having a direct impact on financial markets, corporate credit ratings and investment decisions.
For banks, this means rising credit, market and concentration risks, but also new challenges for country, sector and supply chain risk management.
Economic volatility and macroeconomic stress factors
Following a phase of relative stabilisation, the risks of an economic downturn, inflation setbacks and asset price corrections are increasing again, according to the report.
The relevance of macro and cyclical risks in the risk inventory is therefore increasing noticeably, especially for European banks with high exposure to interest rate-sensitive portfolios or strong involvement in the property and corporate finance business.
Technological risks: cyber, disinformation and AI consequences
Technological risks are among the most dynamic risk categories. Cyberattacks, systematic disinformation and undesirable side effects of AI applications continue to gain in importance – both in the short and long term.
For banks, this means that operational risk in particular is becoming more acute, supplemented by strategic, legal and reputational risks. The dividing line between IT risk, non-financial risk and strategic risk is becoming increasingly blurred.
From global insights to bank-specific risk inventory: our structured approach
The main challenge for banks is not to be familiar with the Global Risks Report, but to transfer its findings to the risk inventory in a systematic, audit-proof and institution-specific manner.
Our approach to supporting banks and savings banks with the 2026 risk inventory therefore follows three clear steps:
1. Structured derivation of relevant risk drivers
Based on the global risks, we translate the identified developments into specific risk drivers for the bank’s business model. In doing so, we consciously differentiate according to
- Business model (e.g. retail, corporate clients, development bank, specialised lender)
- Regional exposure
- Product and portfolio focus
2. Integration into the existing risk taxonomy
The identified risk drivers are consistently integrated into the existing risk taxonomy and risk inventory logic, including clear allocation to materiality and management criteria.
3. Derivation of action and control impulses
In addition to pure risk identification, we also support institutions in this process,
- derive early warning indicators and qualitative indicators,
- quantifying risks using scenario and resilience analyses as well as stress tests and integrating them into both ICAAP/ILAAP and strategy processes,
- and to formulate prioritised management and control measures.
Conclusion: Use the 2026 risk inventory as a strategic lever
The Global Risks Report 2026 makes it clear that risks do not develop in isolation, but in cascades and interactions. For banks and savings banks, the 2026 risk inventory therefore offers the opportunity to go beyond mere compliance and consciously adapt their own risk profile to a changing global environment.
Institutions that integrate global developments into their risk inventory in a structured manner not only create regulatory security, but also strengthen their strategic resilience in an increasingly competitive environment.
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