Why does it take a scientist to tell Pope Francis that he’s not helping the poor?

The scientist is Bjorn Lomborg:

A cruel truth is that almost every significant challenge on Earth hits the poor more than the wealthy: hunger, a lack of clean drinking water, malaria, indoor air pollution. The question then is how we make the most difference for the most vulnerable.

A reasonable starting point is to listen to the world’s citizens. A United Nations surveyof 7.5 million people found that many other issues are deemed more urgent. The top priorities were education, health, jobs, corruption and nutrition. Of 16 problems, the climate was rated the lowest priority.

One reason may be that today’s climate policies themselves have a cost, which predominantly hits the poor.

Cuts in electricity consumption require price hikes that hurt the worst-off and elderly. Relying on expensive green energy sources like wind and solar power makes electricity pricier and less available for those who desperately need it.

The biggest problem with today’s climate change policies is that they will cost a fortune for very little good. The toughest global warming policy today is the European Union’s commitment to cutting 20% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. This will cost $235 billion. And cut temperatures at the end of the century by a measly 0.1ºF. …

The Copenhagen Consensus Center commissioned research from economists to review the United Nations’ 169 proposed targets that will replace the Millennium Development Goals and shape development spending for the next 15 years, These ‘Sustainable Development Goals‘ are hugely important for the planet because they will direct an estimated $2.5 trillion in development spending until 2030, as well as countless trillions in national budgets, so it’s important we get them right.

One big problem is that 169 targets is just too many. Analysis by a panel including several Nobel laureate economists established that reducing the list of development targets to just nineteen of the most important investments would generate four times more good than trying to do all 169.

So what are the policies that would really make the real biggest difference for the world’s poorest?

One is boosting international trade by getting rid of the policies that stop one country trading with another. Lowering trade restrictions reduces poverty and triggers rapid income growth, making people much richer. Trade also helps the flow of ideas and technology.

Another chief way of transforming lives is one that is unlikely to be embraced by the Catholic Church: achieving universal access to contraception and family planning.

At an annual cost of $3.6 billion, allowing women control over pregnancy would mean150,000 fewer maternal deaths and 600,000 fewer children being orphaned this way.

And a third area where money should be spent is nutrition. This is especially critical for young children. A good diet ensures brains and muscles develop better, producing life-long benefits. Well-nourished children stay in school longer, learn more and end up being much more productive. This is an area where the Catholic Church has shown leadership already.

These policies — ensuring freer trade, greater access to family planning, and nutritional interventions — cost a fraction of expensive, inefficient climate policies. When helping the world’s poorest is the goal, these are the investments that would truly make the biggest difference.