Sorry for rather dramatic headline, but a certain e-mail landed in my inbox this morning and made me want to pack up my laptop, grab some bottle water (oh, and some baked beans) and run for the hills. Scaremongers in suits who have nothing better to do with their time are now claiming that climate change will be considered a major threat to business in the next ten years. What a load of crock!

According to a survey out today on ‘emerging risks’ conducted by Business Continuity Expo 2008, a staggering 87% of businesses see climate change as the single biggest threat in terms of risk assessment and the effect it could have on their businesses’ future growth, with many at a loss as to what can be done in order to prepare or plan for this eventuality. Err, have you never heard of backup? What about outsourcing? And I guess some sort of continuity planning just hadn’t crossed your mind? A mac (not you fanboys) and wellies should always be at hand too...

Let’s put it into perspective. Men with clipboards reckon climate change and energy risk consistently rank among the biggest challenges facing global businesses this year. It would appear that the potential underperformance or failure of suppliers now represents as big a threat to business as an internal failure or disruption as 61% of companies are concerned about the failure of suppliers not performing, with a third admitting they are unprepared for this risk. Allegedly which demonstrates that supply chain risks are underestimated and businesses lack the necessary understanding to deal with them.

Also of great concern to a staggering 83% of paranoid businesses is the risk that traditional sources of energy will reduce and the cost of oil and gas will rise so significantly over the next 5 years that it will have an adverse effect on the smooth running of their business. Forget the potential energy crisis, floods, and storms, I’m more concerned with subprime lending and the credit crunch. And if I’m feeling really down, throw in a little paranoia about terrorist attacks on UK soil. Get a grip people ...