Project Syndicate: The World and the U.N. Must Reduce Population Growth

Frank Götmark, professor of animal ecology and conservation biology at the University of Gothenburg and head of the Overpopulation Project, Robin Maynard, director of Population Matters, and colleagues

 

“…The SDGs, which aim ‘to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all,’ are commendable, and summarize the kind of world many of us wish to see in 2030. But if this vision is to have any chance of materializing, governments must now add an 18th goal: ‘Dampen population growth.’ … More specifically, an additional SDG to dampen population growth would promote funding for voluntary, rights-based family planning. This approach has a proven track record of success, not only in reducing births rapidly, but also in advancing the empowerment of women and spurring economic progress. No coercive ‘population control’ measures are needed. Rather, wider awareness of the linkage between family size and ecological sustainability can help parents recognize the benefits of having fewer children…” (9/10).