{"id":231941,"date":"2025-05-09T03:05:32","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T03:05:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/som2nynetwork.com\/aerospace\/geopolitical-conflict-tops-business-concerns-for-first-time-in-years\/"},"modified":"2025-05-09T03:05:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T03:05:32","slug":"geopolitical-conflict-tops-business-concerns-for-first-time-in-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/som2nynetwork.com\/?p=231941","title":{"rendered":"Geopolitical conflict tops business concerns for first time in years"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Soldiers of Ukraine\u2019s 115th Brigade Air Defense Atiaaerea fire drones in Lyman area, Ukraine, April 24, 2025. Credit: Jose Colon\/Anadolu via Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Geopolitical conflict is the theme that businesses believe will most impact them over the next 12 months, a new survey has found.<\/p>\n

GlobalData\u2019s ESG Sentiment Polls Q1 2025<\/a><\/em> survey found that 36% of businesses believe that geopolitical conflict will be the biggest issue for them, while 35% believe inflation will remain the biggest issue. The results mean that it displaces inflation as the perceived most impactful theme for the first time in 10 quarters.<\/p>\n

Geopolitical conflict saw a 4pp rise quarter on quarter in businesses viewing it as the most significant issue facing them, up from 32% in Q4 2024. Of what is behind this, the report states: \u201cThe Trump administration\u2019s hands-off approach to the Russia-Ukraine war has increased fears that the conflict will spread across Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n

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While the proportion of businesses citing inflation as the most significant theme facing them has fallen from a peak of 50% in Q2 2023 and from 38% in Q4 2024, it remains a major worry. \u201cMacroeconomic concerns are at the top of the business agenda due to the tariffs the US has threatened to levy on the rest of the world, and China in particular,\u201d the report explains.<\/p>\n

In the face of these perceived negative threats, the share of businesses viewing environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors as a priority has remained low. Only 12% of businesses believe it will be the priority for them in the next 12 months, although that represents a 2pp rise from Q4 2024. The theme peaked at 20% in Q2 2022 before cratering to a low of 4% in Q4 2023.<\/p>\n

Notably, however, the report says of ESG: \u201cFor the first time since polling began, pressure from investors surpassed customer pressure as a reason to develop an ESG performance plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, it adds: \u201cThe third most impactful theme for the next year, according to respondents, was digitalisation. The adoption of AI is accelerating across many sectors, and new models from companies like China\u2019s DeepSeek are driving innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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