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.