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By September, the world’s 193 governments will meet in New York and agree on a set of ambitious, global targets for 2030. Over the next 15 years these targets will direct the $2.5 trillion to be spent on development assistance, as well as countless trillions in national budgets.

By September, the world’s 193 governments will meet in New York and agree on a set of ambitious, global targets for 2030. Over the next 15 years these targets will direct the $2.5 trillion to be spent on development assistance, as well as countless trillions in national budgets.

I september vil verdens 193 regjeringer samles i New York og avtale en rekke ambisiøse, globale mål for 2030. De neste 15 årene vil disse målene styre fordelingen av 2500 milliarder dollar som brukes på utviklingsbistand, i tillegg til tusenvis av milliarder fra nasjonale budsjetter.

West Africa’s Ebola epidemic has dominated headlines for much of the last year.

For this Earth Day it is especially important we focus on the world's top priorities. In September, all 193 governments will meet at the UN to set targets for the world for the next 15 years in what is explicitly labeled "Sustainable Development Goals." So, it is worth looking at what we should do first. At my think tank, the Copenhagen Consensus, we've asked 60 teams of top economists including several Nobel laureates to evaluate the economic, social and environmental costs and benefits of the targets, so we can pick the best ones. Here is what we should do in environment.

Varje år spenderar världen mer än 4 700 miljarder kronor på att subventionera fossila bränslen, enligt International Energy Agency (IEA). Det råder ingen tvekan om att dessa pengar skulle kunna användas på mycket bättre sätt. Subventioner av fossila bränslen förekommer främst i utvecklingsländer med Iran, Saudiarabien, Ryssland och Venezuela högst upp på listan. Iran spenderar mer än 720 miljarder kronor årligen på subventioner, eller 23 procent av sin BNP

Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies is an obvious target for the world’s next development goals.

The world spends $548 billion subsidizing fossil fuels, mostly in developing countries. A disproportionate share of the subsidies goes to the middle class and the rich – after all, they are the ones who can afford a car in poor countries.

Civil wars and conflicts rumble far too long in far too many places like Syria and the Sudans, and they are devastating for those involved. Economists have measured the costs of all such conflict, from the death toll from civil wars, regular wars, terrorism along with the costs of refugees but also including the way conflicts can blight countries' economic growth for decades. Yet, their total impact, though important in specific hot-spots, is globally fairly small, with a total cost of about 0.2% of global GDP.