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The UK election, overseas aid and family planning

4 November 2018

Since this item was written, the Prime Minister has confirmed that the commitment to current levels of aid spending will remain a part of the Conservative Party programme for government if it is re-elected. In a brief comment, she also said: “what we need to look at is how that money is spent”.

UK population

Livestock, extinction . . . and population

3 November 2018

Last week, Population Matters attended the high-profile Livestock and Extinction conference in London. The conference brought together experts on food production, wildlife, the environment, policymaking, and health to examine the impact of industrial agriculture on the natural world and identify solutions.

Environment Food & water UK population

Meet our new President: Jonathon Porritt

2 November 2018

One of UK’s most high profile environmental campaigners is to become the new President of Population Matters. Former Green Party leader and director of Friends of the Earth, Jonathon Porritt has been a vocal advocate for population issues and will champion Population Matters’ work in his new role.

Environment World population

US ends funding for United Nations Population Fund

1 November 2018

On Monday, the US declared it was cutting its funds to the United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA) – an agency that promotes family planning in more than 150 countries – threatening the health and rights of millions of girls and women around the world, particularly those most vulnerable.

Family planning

Key WWF report fails to address overpopulation

1 November 2018

WWF International’s latest report on the state of the world’s wildlife once again shies away from addressing the ‘elephant in the room’. As one of the world’s most influential and popular environmental organisations, WWF is failing in its duty to confront the main driver of species decline: unsustainable human population pressure.

Biodiversity Environment World population

One step forward, two steps back in African economic development?

31 October 2018

Despite significant progress in recent years, Malawi’s government is concerned that young Malawis will inherit only poverty as economic gains are neutralised by population growth.

Africa population Development Economics Family planning

UN population report: progress, but much to do

26 October 2018

The new State of the World Population 2018 report published by the United Nations Population Fund highlights the importance of having the power to choose the timing, number, and spacing of children in order to promote global economic and social development.

Family planning Women's rights World population

Should greens back immigration controls?

24 October 2018

Two senior green campaigners have today released a paper calling on UK environmentalists and people on the political left to recognise the need for action on immigration.

UK population

Matters Not forgetting the men…

24 October 2018

With a rightful focus on women’s unmet need for contraception and the roles of female education and women’s empowerment in family planning, the importance of male contraception can sometimes be neglected.

Family planning

Report: Ageing populations are good

18 October 2018

A new opinion paper published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution argues that societies should embrace ageing populations instead of fearing them.

Economics Environment World population

IPCC report: we need net zero by 2050

8 October 2018

Disappointingly, the report does not call for action on population but acknowledges that high population growth is a “key impediment” to reaching climate targets.

Climate Environment World population

Sir David Attenborough: we must act on population

5 October 2018

Population Matters patron Sir David Attenborough was interviewed on the BBC’s Newsnight, where he once again spoke out about our unsustainable population growth and the urgent need to address it.

Environment UK population World population

Ten thousand walk for Britain’s disappearing wildlife

24 September 2018

Last Saturday, Population Matters joined ten thousand people from across the UK who flocked to London for a ground-breaking event: the biggest march for wildlife the country has ever seen.

Biodiversity Environment World population UK population

Tanzanian president: “birth control is for the lazy”

18 September 2018

President Magufuli was speaking at a rally when he called on people to ignore advice on using birth control as it was coming from “foreigners with sinister motives”.

Africa population Development Family planning Women's rights

Wildlife under threat – UK hedgehog numbers plummet

13 September 2018

A recent large-scale hedgehog survey across Britain’s rural areas found an alarmingly low number of animals, bolstering earlier research indicating a steep decline. An iconic animal in the UK, the decline in hedgehog numbers reflects disappearing biodiversity under human pressure.

Biodiversity Environment UK population

Egypt seeks fewer babies: South Korea wants more

7 September 2018

Egypt’s government has announced welcome plans to curb its rapid population growth. Meanwhile, South Korea is adopting policies to increase its birth rate.

Africa population Asia population Family planning

China may move to end two-child policy

30 August 2018

The Chinese government may be steering away from its two-child policy amid concerns over the economic effects of a shrinking birth rate. These rumours were sparked by a social media post from China’s state-run Procuratorate Daily.

Asia population Family planning

Population growth puts green belts under housing pressure

17 August 2018

A new report by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) published earlier this month revealed that under current council policies, 460,000 new homes could be built on ‘green belt’ land in the UK, with 35,000 proposals submitted last year.