Appendix 1: More on Simultaneous Policy

There are three criteria that define a Simultaneous Policy:

A. Simultaneous Implementation

To avoid any nation suffering a competitive disadvantage, each Simultaneous Policy package must be implemented by all or sufficient nations at the same time, on the same date.

B. Subsidiarity and Protecting National Sovereignty

Not every issue needs to be covered by a Simultaneous Policy. Simpol only concerns global issues that need all nations (or a very large number of nations) to work. If an issue can be resolved by a nation alone, without any significant negative consequences for its international competitiveness, it doesn't qualify for being included.

C. Multi-issue framework

Each Simultaneous Policy package would bring together two or more issues that meet the above criteria. Instead of treating an issue like carbon emission reductions in isolation, it would be combined with another issue - such as a global financial transactions or wealth tax.

Simpol combines multiple issues because addressing any single issue in isolation inevitably means some nations winning and others losing. The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement is failing because big carbon emitters like the U.S. and China have much more to do, and lose, by entering into the agreement. This only undermines their commitment or causes them to abandon the agreement altogether.

Simpol's assumption is that global problems will remain unsolved while nations risk becoming an economic loser. That's why Simpol combines two or more issues into one policy package, so that what a nation might lose on one issue, it can gain on another. That way, immediate action becomes in all nations' interests. And if such an agreement is in all nations' interests, so will be the inclusion of appropriate verification and enforcement measures.

Simpol operates in two stages:

1. Politicians and governments are invited to support Simpol only in principle by signing a Pledge to implement it simultaneously, subject to all or sufficient nations participating, and subject to the policies eventually being agreed.

2. Once sufficient nations have signed, an international negotiation to define and agree detailed policies can proceed, followed by implementation.

But how?

Citizens are central to Simpol. By joining the campaign, citizens become a powerful voting bloc. They declare that they "will give strong voting preference at national elections to politicians or parties that have signed the Pledge to implement Simpol, to the probable exclusion of those who haven't". Politicians who sign increase their chances of gaining the votes of Simpol's supporters. Those who don't, risk losing those votes, and potentially their seats, to politicians who signed instead.

This political power gives citizens strong influence over the policy content of Simpol. To remain electorally attractive to Simpol's supporters, politicians and parties will have little choice but to adopt the global policies that Simpol and its supporters select.

For politicians and political parties Simpol is a win-win. Signing the pledge represents their support for Simpol only in principle and is thus no-risk. It also attracts the Simpol voting bloc. A politician who fails to sign, by contrast, risks losing those votes to political competitors who have signed, and that could spell disaster.

Should Simpol gain the support of democratic governments, non-democratic nations would be invited to participate. If global support becomes sufficient and a global negotiation is successful, the first Simultaneous Policy can be implemented. Subsequent Simultaneous Policies can then follow.

Launched in the UK in 2000 and despite being small, having little funds, and being run only by volunteers, Simpol has steadily gathered significant political support.

The combination of a no-risk Pledge and the risk of losing if they don't sign can create a "domino effect" among politicians. Once one major candidate in a constituency signs, the others have little choice but to follow. In that way, Simpol so far has over 60 UK MPs, 14 Irish MPs, 10 German MPs, 17 MEPs, 4 Australian MPs and a handful of MPs in other countries all pledged to implement its policies alongside other governments. The full list of pledged MPs can be found at https://simpol.org/who-we-are/our-politicians