New Kearney GBPC report, World in flux, highlights five wildcards that could dramatically shape the global outlook and the operating environment for business over the next five years

• Study analyzes the rising power of the Global South, the increasing use of tariffs in international trade policy, and the growing influence of super-empowered individuals, among other issues.
• In this fast-changing global environment, strategic businesses will have to adapt and innovate to stay competitive.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report released today by Kearney's Global Business Policy Council, World in flux, addresses five wildcards that could have a significant impact on governments and businesses across the world through 2030.

Key themes outlined in the study include the following:

• Amid continued US–China tensions, "middle powers" such as India, Indonesia, and Brazil, are in a position to exert greater influence on the global system. The Global South is at an inflection point.
• Tariffs will be a dominant force in the new economic order—with implications for governments and business. We are poised to witness a taxing time in international trade policy.
• The future of corruption worldwide remains a wildcard, especially as the role of technology in mitigating—or exacerbating it—grows more significant.
• AI, aging infrastructure, and climate change are pushing power grids to the brink. Can the world meet 21st century electricity demand?
• From Elon Musk to Taylor Swift, "super-empowered individuals" are reaching new levels of influence. They are even beginning to impact the economic landscape in both beneficial and disruptive ways.

"We are rebranding the name of the publication—from Global Trends to Global Wildcards—to reflect the significant and growing discontinuous forces of change affecting the environment for global business" notes Erik Peterson, managing director of the Global Business Policy Council and co-author of the study, in the report's foreword. "That should come as little surprise to anyone tracking the totality of the changes—across government, economics, energy and the environment, demographics, and technology—now reshaping the ways in which we interact, work, and live."

"Each of the wildcards explored in this report reflects both challenges and opportunities for business," adds Terry Toland, principal at the Global Business Policy Council and co-author of the study. "Strategic leaders will seek to mitigate the risks implicit in these fast-changing areas and identify ways to augment their capabilities accordingly."

Read the full report here.

About Kearney

Kearney is a leading global management consulting firm. For nearly 100 years, we have been a trusted advisor to C-suites, government bodies, and nonprofit organizations. Our people make us who we are. Driven to be the difference between a big idea and making it happen, we work alongside our clients to regenerate their businesses to create a future that works for everyone.

To learn more about Kearney, please visit https://www.kearney.com/.

About the Global Business Policy Council

The Global Business Policy Council is a specialized foresight and strategic analysis unit within Kearney. Since its first CEO Retreat in 1992, the Council has been a strategic service for the world's top executives, government officials, and business-minded thought leaders. Through exclusive global forums, public-facing thought leadership, and advisory services, the Council helps to decipher sweeping geopolitical, economic, social, and technological changes and their effects on the global business environment. The Council consistently ranks near the top of the University of Pennsylvania's list of best private-sector think tanks.

To learn more about the Global Business Policy Council, visit https://www.kearney.com/business-policy.

Media contact:

Meir Kahtan
Meir Kahtan Public Relations, LLC
+1 917-864-0800
[email protected]

SOURCE Kearney