This project built on the positive experience from the Copenhagen Consensus 2004, but put more emphasis on the quality of the research papers.  It also introduced a practical follow-up component in which 'Best Practice' papers were written outlining the ways to implement the top investments.

The results of CC08 will provide insight for anyone working with the world’s biggest challenges. It reached a much wider audience than in 2004, with interactive campaigns launched in association with major media organizations around the globe.

The core of the project involved bringing eight outstanding and highly respected economists together in Copenhagen in May 2008 to constitute an expert panel and to assess up-to-date economic analysis commissioned by the Center on ways to combat ten of the World’s biggest challenges.

The lead authors of this research were also present in Copenhagen to present their paper and findings to the panel.  The final result was a prioritized list of solutions to the ten challenges, showing which were the greatest investments for donors, governments and philanthropists.

The Copenhagen Consensus process involved more than 55 of the worlds leading economists in the process - aside from the expert panel, there were the research authors and also authors of 'Perspective Papers' intended to critique and engage with the research.

All of the papers, notes and deliberations will be published. For now, it is available online. You can also check out the book that resulted from Copenhagen Consensus 2004: "Global Crises, Global Solutions" by Cambridge University Press, and "How to Spend $50 Billion to Make the World a Better Place" by Cambridge University Press.