But what we can do -- and what we are doing -- is to work together to make unprecedented investments in clean energy, to increase energy efficiency, and to meet the commitments we made at Copenhagen and Cancun.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Speaks to the Australian Parliament

That is a recommendation you might expect from a management consultancy, but no less valid for that: part of the recent increase in efficiency in Brazil's car plants, for example, comes from introducing work teams and re-designing production lines.

ECONOMIST: Measuring productivity