Last November, 15,000 scientists urged governments to act to avoid what they bluntly called “widespread misery and catastrophic biodiversity loss”. They identified population growth as a “primary driver” of our global environmental crisis. Today, World Population Day, Population Matters is joining population groups from around the world to call for action.

The World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity: A Second Notice warned that runaway consumption of limited resources by a rapidly growing population is crippling the Earth’s life-support systems and jeopardising our future. Among the Warning’s 13 recommended actions were reducing fertility rates through education and family planning, and rallying political leaders behind the goal of establishing a sustainable human population.

The scientists went further yet, addressing individual choices about family size directly:

“It is also time to re-examine and change our individual behaviors, including limiting our own reproduction (ideally to replacement level at most)…”

Governments must act

No government has provided a meaningful response to the warning – which since its release has been endorsed by an additional 5,000 scientists.

In consequence, sustainable population groups from the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Sweden, and France have issued a joint statement which we are sending to our respective governments and political leaders. The statement calls on governments to detail what action they are taking on all of the Scientists’ Warning’s action points and to endorse the warning.

In the UK, Population Matters has sent the statement to the Prime Minister, First Ministers of Scotland and Wales and the Leader of the Opposition.

Take action; Sign the Warning

The Warning to Humanity has now been published online. The Alliance of World Scientists is now calling for support from all individuals and organisations. Sign to support the Warning here.

Contact political representatives

Please contact your government directly, and other political representatives to urge them to apply pressure to governments for action.