Efforts to combat extreme poverty are being out-paced

Growing consensus that climate change is the biggest threat to humanity has not been matched by political moves to address the problem, writes Éamonn Meehan

If recent events in Europe have highlighted anything it is the all-too-often slow response of political systems to structural crises.

It is perhaps the nature of democracy that tough decisions are delayed and unpopular measures long-fingered until such time as the elephant in the room has morphed into a stampeding herd.