Climate Change and Population Growth

This has been a matter of dispute for quite some time - that is, the extent to which population growth is a principal driver of climate change, especially when taking into account consumption practices and rates of different populations. A new IIED study concludes that population growth is not a major driver, adding fuel to the discussions. Some findings:

• Sub-Saharan Africa had 18.5% of the world’s population growth and just 2.4% of the growth in carbon dioxide emissions
• The United States had 3.4% of the world’s population growth and 12.6% of the growth in carbon dioxide emissions
• China had 15.3% of the world’s population growth and 44.5% of the growth in carbon dioxide emissions. Population growth rates in China have come down very rapidly – but greenhouse gas emissions have increased very rapidly
• Low-income nations had 52.1% of the world’s population growth and 12.8% of the growth in carbon dioxide emissions
• High-income nations had 7% of the world’s population growth and 29% of the growth in carbon dioxide emissions.
• Most of the nations with the highest population growth rates had low growth rates for carbon dioxide emissions while many of the nations with the lowest population growth rates had high growth rates for carbon dioxide emissions

[David Satterthwaite] points out that contraception and sexual/reproductive health services are key contributors to development, health and human rights in poorer nations and communities.

But he adds that these are not a solution to climate change — which is caused predominantly by a minority of the world’s population that has the highest levels of consumption.