Breaking the Gridlock to Address the Biggest Global Challenges that Will Shape Our Future

The increasing short-termism of modern politics and our collective inability to break the political gridlock undermine global attempts to address the world’s biggest challenges that will shape our future. The Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations, a high-level group working to confront the growing absence of long-range thinking within governments, businesses and global institutions, has recently released Now for the Long Term, a new report calling for a radical shake-up in politics and business to deliver progress on climate change, reduce economic inequality, improve corporate practices and address the chronic burden of disease.

On November 5, the Brookings Institution and the Center for Global Development hosted a discussion on the report, its recommendations, and how to rebalance the debate so that global policymakers prioritize the major long-term issues that will impact the world’s future.  The panel included: Pascal Lamy, chair of the Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations and former director-general of the World Trade Organization; Ian Goldin, vice chair of the Oxford Martin Commission and director of the Oxford Martin School; and Nancy Birdsall, president of the Center for Global Development. Brookings Vice President Kemal Derviș, director of the Global Economy and Development program, moderated the discussion.