How a 20th-Century Family Planning Agenda Fueled the Climate Crisis
In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was signed, outlining basic rights for everyone. However, it didn’t address how human rights relate to environmental sustainability. In 1968, the UN held a conference in Tehran where some groups tried to highlight the negative effects of population growth on human rights, but this was not included in the UDHR.
In 1990, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child stressed the need to protect children before and after birth, but it also failed to connect family planning with children's rights. This lack of connection contributed to population growth and worsened the climate crisis.
The climate crisis is made worse by overusing natural resources and emitting too many greenhouse gases. A 2023 report by IAMECON shows how using family planning strategies earlier could have reduced carbon emissions. Empowering women and girls to lower fertility rates can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Economist Sir Partha Dasgupta argues that our environmental problems come from economic growth that ignores the cost to nature. He believes focusing only on technology won’t solve climate change without addressing overconsumption and population growth. Reproductive rights should include the impacts of population growth on justice and welfare.
Nobel laureate Steven Chu criticizes the global economy’s reliance on population growth, comparing it to a Ponzi scheme. He calls for a shift to sustainable practices that don’t depend on resource depletion.
To address climate change, we need to rethink how we have children. Groups like the Fair Start Organization urge the UN to ensure all children are born into conditions that support a healthy future. This could include climate reparations and family planning reforms funded by wealth from ending the fossil fuel industry. By connecting family planning with human rights and environmental sustainability, we can empower future generations.
🔭 This summary was human-edited with AI-assist.
