The U.N. Chose Way Too Many New Development Goals

When it comes to the biggest challenges facing Bangladesh, surely poverty is one of the most crucial. And there is still much work to be done.

Despite cutting the rate of extreme poverty from 34 percent in 2000 to just 13 percent today, 20 million Bangladeshis still live in conditions considered to be ultra poor. Living on less than Tk. 43 per day can be immensely difficult, and for some, it can create a trap that's almost impossible to escape.

Girls’ education is one of the most powerful things that any nation can invest in, because it creates large and lasting social and economic benefits. Girls who are well-educated go on to lead more empowered, prosperous lives. They delay pregnancy until they are older, affecting maternal and infant mortality rates. And they raise healthier children, creating a virtuous cycle with inter-generational benefits.

The Biden Administration wants to spend the equivalent of $1,500 per American per year on climate policies such as electric cars. At the same time, more than half of US citizens are unwilling to pay even $24 per year.

Bjorn Lomborg argues in an interview with Fox News that this is unsustainable. Instead, we need a cheaper and more effective climate approach, focusing on ramping up green R&D. If we can innovate the price of green energy below fossil fuels, countries such as India and China could also afford to lower their emissions.