Towards a better understanding of the role of population policies in tackling climate change

As the global population hit eight billion in 2022 and climate change-induced extreme events have become more visible worldwide, there has been renewed public interest in the impact of population growth on climate change. This has also sparked a debate about the role of population control policies as a key strategy to curb global warming. This essay argues that the relationship between population dynamics and climate change is highly complex, and that having specific background knowledge could be beneficial for participating in this debate. To this end, this essay presents three points that readers may wish to consider when forming their judgements: (1) the role of demographers in assessing how human population impacts climate change; (2) the importance of acknowledging the demographic heterogeneity and complexity of the relationship between human populations and climate change; and (3) the disparities in resource consumption and the resulting emissions in the context of climate justice.