Embracing the beauty of small families 15 May 2024 At Population Matters, we know that families come in all shapes and sizes but promote the benefits to our planet of choosing to have fewer children. This International Day of Families, let’s look at the beauty of small families. The concept of family has undergone a profound transformation in recent decades. Traditionally, large families were celebrated as a symbol of prosperity and continuity, but things are changing as more people embrace the beauty of small families. International Day of Families This year is the 30th International Day of ..read more

The lingering anxiety around the “p” word 9 May 2024 This year’s 57th session on Population and Development wasn’t just any ordinary convening. It marked a significant milestone: the 30th anniversary of the landmark Programme of Action’s adoption in Cairo, in 1994. To commemorate this occasion, countries gathered to share their successes and challenges in tackling population issues over the past three decades. Our Content and Campaigns Specialist, Florence Blondel, was there. In brief Population Matters, Population Connection and Population Media Center read a joint statement. Member States ..read more

David Attenborough’s greatest achievement 8 May 2024 Population Matters Patron Sir David Attenborough turns an impressive 98 years old on 8 May. The beloved broadcaster has much to be proud of and it is probably no exaggeration to say that nobody has inspired as many people to care about the environment as he has. But it’s not just love for things furry, feathered and scaled that he’s helped spread. In 2022, our Communications Manager at the time, Olivia Nater, reflected on his influence.   © Huw Cordey / naturepl.comInspiring generations David Attenborough’s repeated warnings about our ..read more

Well, here we are in the very merry month of May! We’re now a week into Population Matters’ Spring Action Month where we ask supporters to consider undertaking one or multiple Spring Actions to help our planet.  Like many of our supporters, each year my family and I take part in #NoMowMay: for biodiversity’s sake, we refrain from cutting the lawn until later in the summer. By allowing the grass to grow, this provides an essential early-stage habitat for insects and native flora and wildflowers. Population Matters patron, Sir David Attenborough, is a proponent of delaying cutting the grass ..read more

The Commission on Population and Development (CPD57) is underway, and Population Matters plans to make a strong showing! In this blog post, our Content and Campaigns Specialist, Florence Blondel, shows how we’ve already established ourselves as one of the leading voices in population and development through collaborative efforts. Earlier in March during CSW68, we had an opportunity to attend the first preparatory consultancy meeting with the Chair in New York where I raised the importance of making interconnections between our current crises and the importance of investing in women and girls ..read more

It’s that time of the year again – glorious spring! Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re welcoming the longer, warmer days, and nature beginning to blossom once more. Population Matters Fundraising Officer, Anthony, suggests three key Spring Actions we would love our supporters to consider. Spring Action 1: Support local biodiversity Population Matters’ core focus remains our ever-increasing global population. Intrinsic to this is for those of us already here to be responsible and make sustainable efforts for our shared natural environments. Spring is the perfect time to be aware of this and ..read more

Population Health Environment (PHE) is an integrated approach to environmental conservation, family planning, and sustainable development. Population Matters campaigns to secure wider adoption of PHE by the UK government and other international NGOs. Find out more about PHE and join our campaign. What is PHE? PHE stands for Population Health Environment – it’s a development approach that recognises the interdependent links between local communities, their health, and the natural resources upon which they depend. PHE projects focus on providing voluntary family planning information and services ..read more

Planned obsolescence is a strategy where companies intentionally create products with a limited lifespan. From smartphones to household appliances and even lightbulbs, it’s a practice that’s intended to maximise corporate profits at the expense of consumers and at great cost to the natural world.  What is planned obsolescence?  Put simply, planned obsolescence is where products are designed with certain limitations meaning they break down and necessitate the purchase of a replacement. It aims to stimulate repetitive consumption and ensure continued demand for products, consequently d ..read more

The UN Population Projections are generally considered to be the premier forecast for future population changes, with a pretty strong history of getting it right and are the most widely cited. But there are others out there, and some would argue that these alternatives are based on stronger data and more robust modelling. Digital and Communications Manager, Ben Stallworthy, takes a look. If you have a previously held interest in population, you’ll probably be aware of the UN Population Projections. Usually updated every two years, they are generally considered to be the top dog of the (admitte ..read more

The 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) ended last week with a call from UN leaders to accelerate poverty eradication by 26 times. They stressed the need for an extra $360 billion annually for a gender-focused stimulus package to achieve gender equality. Population Matters participated in the event for the first time, with our Content and Campaigns Specialist Florence Blondel distributing materials to UN officials and other delegates. This year, the focus of CSW68 was on the intersection of poverty eradication and financing through a gender lens. At the event’s commen ..read more