News | Population Matters

One school, one tree at a time: climate campaigning in Uganda

Population Matters Choice Ambassadors Nyombi Morris

8 June 2022

Voted Environmentalist of Tomorrow by CNN in 2021, Nyombi Morris is a climate change activist from Uganda. With a mission to educate and inspire young people, he’s one of our Choice Ambassadors.

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WELCOME TO HUMANATURE

22 May 2022

Nature is under pressure from humans as never before. PM's new, overarching biodiversity campaign, HUMANATURE, will inspire action to help protect biodiversity, slow and end population growth and ensure we all live more sustainably. Read more about the campaign's plans here.

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UN: Population growth driving drought

18 May 2022

A new UN report foresees a future in which droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population, unless we take action. In 23 countries, population growth will be the primary driver.

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David Attenborough’s greatest achievement

5 May 2022

Population Matters Patron Sir David Attenborough turns an impressive 96 years old on 8 May. The beloved broadcaster has much to be proud of and it is probably no exaggeration to say that nobody has inspired as many people to care about the environment as he has. But it’s not just love for things furry, feathered and scaled that he’s helped spread – Communications Manager Olivia Nater reflects on his influence.

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Four key ways in which human and environmental health are linked

7 April 2022

The way we are treating the planet is not just bad for the environment – we are actively undermining our own health and well-being too. This year’s World Health Day draws attention to this crucial fact with the theme ‘Our Planet, Our Health’. Communications Manager Olivia Nater looks at four critical planetary health issues.

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Conservation through education and family planning: Reporting from Colombia

1 April 2022

Between July 2021 and February 2022, Empower to Plan supported Women for Conservation in the provision of environmental education workshops and family planning clinics in biodiversity hotspots of Colombia. Our Empower to Plan Project Coordinator, Catriona Spaven-Donn, visited Women for Conservation over International Women’s Day in March. In this field report, she reflects on how the group is empowering women to protect endangered species and their habitats as well as become decision and change-makers in their own lives.

Biodiversity Environment Families Family planning Women's rights

Empower women, save the planet

8 March 2022

Today is International Women’s Day with the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”. The event aims to showcase how critical advancing women’s rights is to solving our environmental crises – something we do every day at Population Matters! Communications Manager Olivia Nater summarises the evidence.

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Squeezing out the wild things

3 March 2022

Today is World Wildlife Day, the most important annual observance day dedicated to wild species. The event draws attention to the conservation status of some of the most critically endangered species, and drives discussions towards finding and implementing solutions to conserve them. Senior Campaigner Andrew Howard looks at how human population growth is impacting three iconic mammals.

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The Anthropocene's emerging threats

25 February 2022

Humanity’s impact on our planet has profound and far-reaching consequences, some of which are less obvious than others. A new UN report shines a light on emerging environmental threats, including noise pollution, wildfires and shifts in the timing of key seasonal events.

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Biodiversity at a crossroads: why population matters

9 February 2022

2022 is a big year for the natural world: a new international agreement will be agreed to combat global biodiversity loss. The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework is intended to ensure that by 2050, humans are living in harmony with nature. The UN has also called for greater funding for nature conservation. Population Matters Senior Campaigner Andrew Howard examines recent developments, and how human population growth is being dealt with.

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Elon Musk is wrong: we need smaller families

13 December 2021

Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has just been named TIME’s person of the year, has once again urged people to have more babies, claiming that “population collapse” is the biggest threat facing humanity. Population Matters Communications Manager Olivia Nater explains why this statement is absurd and dangerous.

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Talking population at the World Conservation Congress

21 September 2021

From 3-10 September, Population Matters attended the World Conservation Congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Marseille. Postponed from last year due to COVID-19, the Congress brought together a range of stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, scientists, business, representatives of indigenous people and the public, to discuss the state of nature and how it can be protected. Senior Campaigner Andrew Howard reports how PM made its presence felt.

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More than half of all tree species could face extinction

14 September 2021

A comprehensive new assessment of the conservation status of all trees reveals that 30-60% of species are at risk of extinction, mainly due to habitat destruction for agriculture.

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Europe's biodiversity under pressure from growing food demand

8 September 2021

A recent study shows the continued conversion of land to agriculture to feed growing populations in Europe will have devastating impacts on key species including wild bees, plants and earthworms. While this damage can be reduced by selecting less biodiverse areas and incorporating sustainable farming practices, limiting additional population growth is the only long-term solution for feeding everyone without destroying ever more nature.

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Heading towards collapse: two major warnings

6 August 2021

Updates to two landmark environmental studies were published in recent weeks: one examines the accuracy of the Club of Rome’s predictions in their bestselling 1972 book ‘Limits to Growth’, the other is a reiteration of the 2019 ‘Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency’. Needless to say, neither update offers good news – we must act fast to avert disaster.

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Earth Overshoot Day: No Plan(et) B

29 July 2021

Today is Earth Overshoot Day, the date on which humanity has used up all the natural resources the Earth can regenerate within a year. Despite urgent calls to avoid a return to our destructive pre-pandemic status quo, we are still hurtling in the wrong direction. It is high time for those in power to confront the uncomfortable truth, explains Population Matters' Senior Communications Officer, Olivia Nater.

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Happy birthday, but more to do before we blow out the candles

24 July 2021

We’ve been committed to raising the profile of population and our collective impact on Earth since 24 July 1991, and though a cynic might consider it counter-intuitive for us to celebrate, that cynic would be ignorant of our unerring dedication to help create a better world for people everywhere, and the positive difference we are making. Robin Maynard reflects on Population Matters' work on our 30th birthday.

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New global plan to save species must tackle population

22 July 2021

Last week, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity published the first draft of its new plan to combat global biodiversity loss. Population Matters Senior Campaigner Andrew Howard examines whether population issues are sufficiently dealt with.

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UK parliament committee backs family planning and tackling consumption to protect biodiversity

30 June 2021

An influential committee in the UK Parliament has called on the Government to do more to address population and overconsumption as drivers of biodiversity loss. Its comments, in a highly critical report on the UK Government’s action so far, reflect and refer directly to evidence submitted by Population Matters to its enquiry.

Biodiversity Environment Family planning

Why vegans should promote smaller families

21 June 2021

Ever more people are adopting plant-based diets for the planet, which leads many to believe that our consumption of animal products must be decreasing. Sadly, the opposite is true, with demand for meat and dairy continuing to shoot upwards due to a rapidly expanding middle class. Medical doctor and environmental filmmaker Sofia Pineda Ochoa explains why all vegans should also care about our unsustainable population growth.

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