Best Things First: The 12 Most Efficient Solutions for the World's Poorest and Our Global SDG Promises

Now selected as one of the Best Books of 2023 by The Economist.In this urgent, thought-provoking book, Bjorn Lomborg presents the 12 most efficient solutions for the world's poorest and our global SDG promises. If you want to make the world better, Best Things First is the book to read. World leaders have promised everything to everyone. But they are failing. The UNs Sustainable Development Goals are supposed to be delivered by 2030. The goals literally promise everything, like eradicating poverty, hunger and disease; stopping war and climate change, ending corruption, fixing education along with countless other promises. This year, the world is at halftime for its promises, but nowhere near halfway. Together with more than a hundred of the worlds top economists, Bjorn Lomborg has worked for years to identify the worlds best solutions. Based on 12 new, peer-reviewed papers, forthcoming in Cambridge University Press Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, this book highlights the worlds best policies.Some things are difficult to fix, cost a lot, and help little. Other problems we know how to fix, at low cost, with remarkable outcomes. We should do the smart things first. Governments and philanthropists should focus on these 12 smartest things. Fix tuberculosis, malaria, and chronic disease, tackle malnutrition, improve education, increase trade, implement e-procurement, and secure land tenure. This will improve the world amazingly. The cost is $35 billion a year. The benefits include saving 4.2 million lives each year and generating $1.1 trillion more for the worlds poor.We can definitely afford The cost of $35 billion is equivalent to the increase in annual global spending on cosmetics over the last two years. This is likely the best thing the world can do this decade. Preface Section I: The overarching argument Chapter 1. Doing the Best Things First What comes next? Chapter 2. Promises, promises The Millennium Development Goals actually changed the world The Sustainable Development Goals: Far Too Many Promises The SDGs haven’t made a difference We will be half a century late Chapter 3. Do the smartest solutions first Using benefit-cost analysis All the policies that didn’t make it into the final 12 The 12 best policies for the world We can afford it $35 billion to make the world amazingly better off Section II: The 12 most efficient policies Chapter 4. Tuberculosis How a tsunami of death receded from the rich world Tuberculosis is still deadly for the poorer half of the world Global progress in the last three decades and our SDG promises Why haven’t we tackled tuberculosis yet? A cost-efficient way to save 27 million lives A chance to end a flow of needless death Chapter 5. Education We’ve invested a lot in schools — but not in learning SDG education promises won’t be fulfilled until 2056 Helping students learn more: Teach at the right level Helping teachers teach better: Structured pedagogy More learning at low costs We can do better for less Chapter 6. Maternal and newborn health Global inequality for mothers and infants The MDG targets made a difference SDG promises won’t be met A simple and phenomenally efficient solution Saving the SDGs and more Chapter 7. Agricultural R&D: More and cheaper food Key is economic growth and agricultural innovation For all the SDGs’ ambition, we’re not solving hunger Many popular policies don’t add up Solving hunger without having to bet the farm A chance to almost eradicate hunger Chapter 8. Malaria An illness that shaped history How humanity cleared out the ‘bad air’ — for the most part MDGs and SDGs on malaria: Impetus lost? How to save lives from an endemic killer at little cost An incredible investment in saving lives Chapter 9. e-procurement: reducing corruption Corruption’s massive cost The corruption SDG: Zero progress, dismal prognosis A simple, substantial solution with many benefits What will it cost? Fantastic benefits for a modest price So, why isn’t e-procurement everywhere already? Chapter 10. Nutrition Malnutrition: Long-term harm to the most vulnerable Failing by more than 100 million children Supplements during pregnancy: Nutrition in the womb Complementary Feeding Promotion: Ensuring infants get the food they need SQ-LNS: Transforming a child’s life for $90 Feeding children better Chapter 11. Chronic Diseases Out of the age of pestilence Fighting the last century’s battles The chronic disease SDG — still centuries away Best healthcare investments for NCDs A tobacco tax can smoke lung cancer Cutting problem drinking Salt reduction Reaching the SDG target completely would be very expensive Chapter 12. Childhood immunization Smallpox: The power of vaccines Cheap jabs’ big payoff for rich and poor alike Despite global promises, we are not doing enough Vaccines can save many more at low cost More childhood immunization could save millions Conclusion Chapter 13. More trade Real costs to trade Trade makes us richer A particular help for the poor Trade SDGs held at a standstill Calculating costs and benefits Conclusion Chapter 14. Highly skilled migration Inequality: Better than you may think, but still far off the SDG Doubling global GDP and vanquishing most inequality — A world with unlimited migration How high are the costs of migration? A more acceptable migration increase The benefits of migrating doctors The costs of migrating doctors Benefit-costs ratios for skilled migration A regional option: Open Africa to skilled migration A politically viable chance to lower global inequality Chapter 15. Land tenure security Securing land ownership to drive development More secure property rights could unlock a continent of potential On land tenure SDGs, we’re entirely off-track How to improve land security — Starting in sub-Saharan Africa From farms to skyscrapers: The costs of surveying and registering land Factoring in the costs of digitization and dispute resolution Annual operations and maintenance costs Making rural fields more productive — The benefits of improving land tenure security Making urban house ownership more secure It is better knowing what you have Appendix. Benefit-cost analysis, discounting, and value-of-life Wages over the 21st century Discounting the future The value of a statistical life The usefulness of consistent benefit-cost analysis Also by Bjorn Lomborg References Index In this urgent, thought-provoking book, Bjorn Lomborg presents the 12 most efficient solutions for the world's poorest and our global SDG promises. If you want to make the world better, Best Things First is the book to read. World leaders have promised everything to everyone. But they are failing. The UNs Sustainable Development Goals are supposed to be delivered by 2030. The goals literally promise everything, like eradicating poverty, hunger and disease; stopping war and climate change, ending corruption, fixing education along with countless other promises. This year, the world is at halftime for its promises, but nowhere near halfway. Together with more than a hundred of the worlds top economists, Bjorn Lomborg has worked for years to identify the worlds best solutions. Based on 12 new, peer-reviewed papers, forthcoming in Cambridge University Press Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis , this book highlights the worlds best policies. Some things are difficult to fix, cost a lot, and help little. Other problems we know how to fix, at low cost, with remarkable outcomes. We should do the smart things first. Governments and philanthropists should focus on these 12 smartest things. Fix tuberculosis, malaria, and chronic disease, tackle malnutrition, improve education, increase trade, implement e-procurement, and secure land tenure. This will improve the world amazingly. The cost is $35 billion a year. The benefits include saving 4.2 million lives each year and generating $1.1 trillion more for the worlds poor. We can definitely afford The cost of $35 billion is equivalent to the increase in annual global spending on cosmetics over the last two years. This is likely the best thing the world can do this decade.