Can we afford to save the world? In the midst of national budget debates and chronic shortages, it’s a fair question.
Global military spending hit a record high last year at $2.24 trillion, while spending on health and food each exceeded $9 trillion. Such astronomical costs may give the impression that we don’t have the funds to solve the world’s most pressing problems — but we do.
Among the Group of 20 leading economies alone, there are enough resources to address hunger, maternal and child health, education, and much more. We even have a blueprint: the Sustainable Development Goals. What we don’t have is the political will to invest in our collective future.
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About the author
Julie Garfieldt Kofoed
Julie Garfieldt Kofoed is the senior director for sustainable development initiatives at the U.N. Foundation. Previously, she was head of human rights at U.N. Global Compact and served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, most recently with the permanent mission of Denmark to the U.N.
