Copenhagen Consensus Center
The Copenhagen Consensus Center is a think tank that researches and publishes the smartest solutions for the world's biggest problems. Its studies are conducted by more than 100 economists from internationally renowned institutions, including seven Nobel Laureates, to advise policy-makers and philanthropists how to spend their money most effectively.
“Copenhagen Consensus is an outstanding, visionary idea and deserves global coverage” - The Economist
The Center's advocacy for data-driven prioritization was voted into the top 20 campaigns worldwide in a think tank survey conducted by University of Pennsylvania.
Nobel Laureates Guide to Smarter Global Targets to 2030
Over the past 18 months, the Copenhagen Consensus Center has published 100+ peer-reviewed analyses from 82 of the world’s top economists and 44 sector experts along with many UN agencies and NGOs. These have established how effective 100+ targets would be in terms of value-for-money. These analyses take into account not just the economic, but also health, social and environmental benefits to the world.
An Expert Panel including two Nobel Laureates has reviewed this research and identified 19 targets that represent the best value-for-money in development over the period 2016 to 2030, offering social good worth more than $15 back on every dollar invested.
Reaching these global targets by 2030 will do more than $15 of good for every dollar spent.
In a Hurry and interested in the 19 most bang-for-the-buck post-2015 sustainable development targets? Download our project overview PDF here.
The Nobel Laureates' Guide To The Smartest Targets For The World
In 2000, the Millennium Development Goals set a few, highly effective targets for the world, e.g. halve the proportion of poor and hungry and reduce childhood mortality by two-thirds. The goals have been a huge success. Now, the UN and the world is to decide which new goals will take over in 2015.
The UN s Open Working Group has proposed 169 targets. But we need to know which are most effective. Copenhagen Consensus has asked 60 teams of the world’s top economists to highlight phenomenal, good, fair and poor targets, weighing up the social, environmental and economic benefits and costs.
The world will spend $2.5 trillion in development aid from 2015-2030, and these goals will influence a large part of that spending. Making just one target better can do hundreds of billions of dollars worth of good.
What are the smartest targets for the post-2015 development agenda?
Our research series has sparked a global debate on the best targets for the post-2015 development agenda. Leading experts have looked into the benefits and costs of pursuing targets for Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conflict & Violence, Data for Development, Education, Energy, Food Security, Gender Equality, Governance & Institutions, Health: Chronic Diseases, Health: Health Systems, Health: Infant Mortality & Maternal Health, Health: Infectious Diseases, Infrastructure, Illicit Financial Flows, Nutrition, Population & Demography, Poverty, Science & Technology, Trade, and Water & Sanitation.
The Economist
An overview of Copenhagen Consensus' ground-breaking research which is shaping the thinking for the 193 governments about to prioritize the smartest development goals for 2016-2030. If you've just read the article in The Economist you might be interested in exploring more about our project, and the research we've undertaken so we have put together an online supplement with more in-depth information.
A lot to learn
“I've served on four 'experts committees', beginning in 2004. All involved hard choices among attractive alternatives to meet crucial objectives for development and health. And the reason I keep serving? I learn so much.”
- Thomas C. Schelling, Nobel Laureate in Economics
