News

Troubled Waters: Population growth and climate change

22 March 2021

The theme of this year’s UN World Water Day is ‘valuing water’. The impact of the climate crisis and population growth alongside lack of progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6: ‘Water and sanitation for all’ shows we have a long way to go to learn the true value of the world’s most invaluable resource, writes Population Matters Campaigner Katrina Dixon.

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World Wildlife Day: 5 ways you can help forest species

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.

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To save biodiversity, we must transform our food systems

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.

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Endgame 2050: Panel discussion with leading experts

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.

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Study: Population growth cancelling out climate change progress

20 January 2021

A new study finds that more than three-quarters of the gains made from increased energy efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions from energy production are offset by global population growth. The study calls for an end to the "conspicuous silence" on the role of population in our enironmental crisis.

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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.

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UN Summit: Are Climate Ambitions Falling Short?

7 December 2020

With the virtual UN Climate Ambition Summit 2020 being held on the 12th of December, we ask why the rapid growth of the human population is still being left off the international agenda.

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"The best decision of my life": The men who chose a vasectomy

17 November 2020

World Vasectomy Day is an annual celebration of the men who choose a vasectomy to help share the burden of contraception and responsible family planning. We gathered testimonies from men across the world about their personal experiences of getting "the snip".

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Population must play a role in the climate conversation

14 November 2020

How does population growth affect climate change? For this week's London Climate Action Week, PM Board Member and Director of Flight Free UK, Anna Hughes, reflects on her decision not to have children to reduce her carbon footprint.

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

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

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.

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Can we shrink our energy footprint?

10 October 2020

A new study suggests we can reduce global energy consumption by 75% and still lead comfortable lives. To achieve that, the authors say we need "radical action on all fronts", including addressing vast disparities in consumption across the world. Can we do it?

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Attenborough film: Saving our planet requires ending population growth

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.

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Reproductive Healthcare: The Missing Link

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.

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It's time to end harmful population denial

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.

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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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Small island, big population – why the UK needs a Sustainable Population Policy

6 August 2020

With the United Kingdom already considered one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, unabated population growth poses a real threat to remaining ecosystems and human health and wellbeing. Population Matters Director Robin Maynard takes a look at a UK politician’s new proposal to set up a governmental body tasked with monitoring national population trends and developing policy recommendations.

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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.

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

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.