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World Wildlife Day: 5 ways you can help forest species

Orangutan mother and baby
3 March 2021

World Wildlife Day, falling on March 3rd every year, is a UN initiative that aims to celebrate wild species and raise awareness of their plight. This year’s theme, ‘Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet’, showcases humanity’s dependence on healthy forest ecosystems. Our Senior Communications Officer, Olivia Nater, examines the critical state of global forests and lists five actions we can take to help protect them and their inhabitants.

Biodiversity Climate Development Environment Food World population

To save biodiversity, we must transform our food systems

Dairy cows
15 February 2021

A major new analysis highlights how current food production and consumption patterns are driving biodiversity loss, and proposes three key actions to turn the tide and create a healthier future: a shift towards more plant-based diets, setting aside more land as protected areas, and adopting more sustainable farming methods.

Biodiversity Climate Environment Food World population

Endgame 2050: Panel discussion with leading experts

Endgame 2050 poster
5 February 2021

On 4 February 2021, Population Matters held a live-screening of the population segment of the important new documentary Endgame 2050, followed by a panel discussion with the film-maker Sofia Pineda Ochoa, reproductive health expert Alisha Graves, and our esteemed Patrons Professor Paul Ehrlich and Leilani Münter.

Biodiversity Climate Development Environment Family planning Women's rights World population

New report: transform economy to save nature

London's financial centre
4 February 2021

Our economic and financial system is driving biodiversity loss and requires massive changes, according to a major new report by economist and Population Matters patron, Prof Sir Partha Dasgupta. Addressing population growth through much greater support for family planning is one of the key solutions proposed by the report.

Biodiversity Development Economics Environment Family planning World population

Humanity headed towards ‘ghastly future’: Urgent warning from top scientists

14 January 2021

An important new study warns that the world is failing to grasp the gravity of our environmental crises, and that without urgent action on the underlying causes, population and consumption growth, we face catastrophic mass extinction, climate disruption, and human suffering.

Biodiversity Climate Development Economics Environment Family planning Food Women's rights World population

What COVID-19 has taught us about our relationship with nature

Hand holding branch
18 December 2020

As 2020 draws to a close, humanity is reflecting on a particularly difficult year. The slow but sure roll-out of COVID-19 vaccination programmes presents a light at the end of the tunnel, yet new pandemics are just around the corner unless we confront our broken relationship with nature. Population Matters Senior Communications Officer, Olivia Nater, reviews the evidence.

Biodiversity Development Environment Family planning Food Women's rights World population

Biden’s victory: What does it mean for women’s rights and the environment?

Biden 2020 flag
10 November 2020

Sexual and reproductive health and rights and the environment saw several significant setbacks under the Trump administration. Now that Joe Biden and running mate Kamala Harris have won the US presidential election, what is likely to change? Senior Communications Officer Olivia Nater takes a look at key international policy issues.

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UK report: Next generation will inherit worse environment

Starling
6 November 2020

A new report shows the UK Government is way off course to meet its goal of improving the state of the environment for the next generation, with many areas continuing to deteriorate, including biodiversity, water pollution, and soil depletion.

Biodiversity Climate Environment UK population

Attenborough film: Saving our planet requires ending population growth

David Attenborough on Easter Island
7 October 2020

David Attenborough's 'A Life On Our Planet' highlights the rampant destruction of nature caused by human population growth and unsustainable consumption, as well as the positive and urgently needed actions we must take to save our one and only planet. Population Matters Director Robin Maynard reviews the film.

Biodiversity Climate Development Environment Families Family planning Women's rights World population

Heed Attenborough: poll shows people want action on extinctions

Sir David Attenborough with frog
4 October 2020

As David Attenborough's documentaries highlight the crisis, a Population Matters poll shows two-thirds of people in the UK want the same or more priority on species loss as on climate change.

Biodiversity Environment

Reproductive Healthcare: The Missing Link

Contraceptive pills
22 September 2020

A new study released highlights the importance of ensuring universal access to modern reproductive healthcare to achieving the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. To mark World Contraception Day, Population Matters calls for increased funding to the UNFPA to fulfill unmet modern contraceptive needs. 

Biodiversity Climate Development Economics Environment Family planning Women's rights World population

Relationships & Sex Education: Teach Everyone Every Aspect

14 September 2020

The theme of this year's UK Sexual Health Week is relationships and sex education. In this guest blog post, Dr. Rebecca Foljambe, founder of RSE charity and Empower to Plan partner You Before Two, reflects on a discussion with some of her young students. 

Biodiversity Environment Families Family planning UK population Women's rights

You can't stop extinctions by ignoring the number of people

Leopard
11 September 2020

WWF’s new Living Planet Report provides a clear picture of humanity’s destruction of nature, but doesn’t provide us with the missing link – solving population growth.

Biodiversity Environment World population

The Kibra youths protecting their communities and environment

7 September 2020

Population Matters Campaigner Katrina Dixon reflects on what we have achieved through our Empower to Plan programme so far this year, and the continued support needed for the people of Kibra slum in Kenya.

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It's time to end harmful population denial

Densely packed buildings
28 August 2020

Population Matters Director Robin Maynard debunks writer George Monbiot's claims that addressing the population issue is "blaming the poor" and "racist", and explains why population denial hurts everyone, especially the world's most vulnerable.

Biodiversity Climate Development Environment Family planning Women's rights World population

Earth Overshoot Day: Five ways we can move the date

20 August 2020

Every year, Earth Overshoot Day marks the day when humanity has consumed all the resources that the planet can produce over the entire year. This year it falls on 22 August. Global Footprint Network CEO Laurel Hanscom lays out five steps we must take to shrink humanity's ecological footprint.

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Championing better choices: My work as a young population activist

4 August 2020

The theme of this year's International Youth Day is "Youth Engagement for Global Action". Stella Wright, a member of the Population Matters London Local Group, is one of an increasing number of young people around the world concerned about the impact of global population growth. Here, she explains what motivated her to become an environmental activist. 

Biodiversity Climate Environment Family planning World population

Eating the planet: what our diets and population growth mean for the environment

Person eating burger
27 July 2020

A new report reveals that global adoption of current food consumption patterns in G20 countries would ruin our chance of meeting climate and sustainability targets, exceeding our food carbon budget by almost three-fold and requiring up to seven Earths to support.

Biodiversity Climate Development Environment Food World population

World Population Day 2020 – sustainable development needs a sustainable population

14 July 2020

Saturday 11 July marked World Population Day and for us it was the culmination of a series of digital events that we hope will encourage and inspire people to talk about population issues. This year our theme and activities centred around the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Biodiversity Climate Development Environment Families Family planning Women's rights World population

Human-caused mass extinction still accelerating

Sumatran rhino
9 June 2020

A new analysis shows the sixth mass extinction is accelerating, with more than 500 vertebrate species at risk of becoming extinct in less than 20 years – as many as were lost over the entire course of the last century.

Africa population Asia population Biodiversity Environment World population

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