Summary of the basis of comparison between policy issues according to nature of the problem and potential policy solutions
| Antimicrobial resistance | Climate change | Tobacco control | |
| Nature of the problem | |||
| Significant public health consequences | +++ | +++ | +++ |
| Complexity and inter-relatedness of problems | +++ | +++ | ++ |
| Multiple stakeholder involvement | +++ | +++ | ++ |
| Divergence among stakeholders | ++ | +++ | +++ |
| International nature of challenge that prompts need for global action | +++ Transnational | +++ Transnational | ++ Multinational |
| Intertemporal element – time between contributing action and impact | +++ | +++ | + |
| Common resource problem | +++ | +++ | Does not apply |
| Potential policy solutions | |||
| Cross government response requirement (progress made) | +++ | +++ | +++ |
| Definitive (+++) vs amelioration (+) | + Resistance will always occur | +++ Greenhouse gases cannot be eliminated but carbon-neutral/negative economy possible; required technology exists | +++ Potentially definitive |
| Nature of global action (achieved or proposed) | Achieved: Non-binding WHO Global Action Plan Proposed: Global governance mechanism | Achieved: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change established in 1988 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change established in 1992 Governance increasingly voluntary and polycentric over time | Achieved: The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control became the first and only legally binding international health treaty, adopted in 2003 Proposed: Requires governments to develop and enforce their own regulations |
| Extent to which policy has been able to capitalise on social change | + | ++ | +++ |
+, ++,+++ reflects relevance according to each criteria as decided by the research team and informed by literature.