What role is overpopulation playing in the climate crisis?

If there were fewer of us, would the amount of greenhouse gasses
we emit reduce? It’s a question that often creeps up in
discussions about climate change. Studies show that the global
population will decline eventually and populations in many rich
nations are already declining. However, 11,000 scientists signed
a paper warning of “untold suffering due to the climate crisis”
unless society transforms, including the reversal of population
growth. But an analysis by the United Nations found that
affluence has a greater impact on the climate than population.
When we talk about overpopulation, what are we really saying and
where does the conversation go from here?


This episode was first broadcast on 13th December 2021.


Presenters Neal Razzell and Kate Lamble are joined by: Nyovani
Madise, head of the Malawi office of the African Institute for
Development Policy. Anu Ramaswami, professor of civil and
environmental engineering at Princeton. Arvind Ravikumar,
professor in energy transition and climate policy at the
University of Texas.


Producer: Darin Graham Reporter: Rajesh Joshi Series producer:
Alex Lewis Editor: Emma Rippon Sound engineer: Tom Brignell
Production coordinator: Siobhan Reed and Sophie Hill