Where are the Global Problem Solvers?

By Jeffrey Sachs
29 June 2009 @ 01:04 pm EDT

One odd and disturbing aspect of global politics today is the confusion between negotiations and problem-solving. According to a timetable agreed in December 2007, we have six months to reach a global agreement on climate change in Copenhagen. Governments are engaged in a massive negotiation, but they are not engaged in a massive effort at problem-solving. Each country asks itself, "How do I do the least and get the other countries to do the most?," when they should be asking instead, "How do we cooperate to achieve our shared goals at minimum cost and maximum benefit?"

Copyright Project Syndicate, Reprinted with permission.

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