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Climate and people conference looks at population, reproductive health

OSLO – More than 60 Members of Parliament from Europe and Asia met with experts and advocates over two days to discuss the links between population dynamics and climate change, and what to do about them.

Presentations highlighted the complexity of the links between population and climate, which included geography, income, gender, family size and structure and access to information and resources, among many other factors.

“We need to get to a point where can talk about both consumption and population,” said Leyla Alyanak, UNFPA Geneva Office. “Fewer people on the planet won’t necessarily mean fewer emissions. While size does matter, so do where people live – in urban or rural areas, the size of their families, and their age. An ageing population may help reduce carbon emissions, but a younger one will have the opposite effect.” 

Leyla Alyanak from UNFPA Geneva Office (first row, third from left) gave a presentation on population dynamics and climate change.

Preventing unwanted pregnancies through voluntary family planning and guaranteeing people’s right to reproductive health supplies and services can help slow population growth and moderate its environmental impact.

“We need to reposition family planning and begin funding it wisely. Not only has funding gone down, but there are worrying signs that the use of family planning has stalled in several countries. Yet with access to family planning, women will want fewer children, and benefits will be reaped in terms of gender equality, infant mortality, human rights and so much more.”

A number of excellent presentations are being made available by Members of Parliament, development agencies and NGOs on the website of the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF).

The conference was organized within the framework of Countdown 2015 the EPF, the Norwegian All-Party Parliamentary Group: Norsk forening for seksualitet, samliv og reproduktiv helse, and the Norwegian Association for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (NSRR).