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Population and Climate Change: Consensus and Dissensus among Demographers

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  • Hendrik P. Dalen

    (Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI-KNAW)
    Tilburg University)

  • Kène Henkens

    (Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI-KNAW)
    University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
    University of Amsterdam)

Abstract

What role does population play in thinking about the problem of climate change and some of its solutions? In a survey conducted between February and April 2020, we asked European demographers to state their views on the relationship between climate change and population developments, and asked them to rate their concern about climate change and other socio-demographic issues. We found that climate change is at the top of the list of demographers’ concerns, but that their sense of urgency with respect to taking action to redress global warming is not matched by their belief that population policy can make a crucial difference in reducing CO2 emissions: demographers are highly divided on the question whether the global population size should be reduced to lower CO2 emissions, as well as on the question whether family planning is an effective policy instrument.

Suggested Citation

  • Hendrik P. Dalen & Kène Henkens, 2021. "Population and Climate Change: Consensus and Dissensus among Demographers," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 37(3), pages 551-567, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eurpop:v:37:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s10680-021-09580-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s10680-021-09580-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Steffen Peters & Erich Striessnig & Maria Rita Testa & Alessandra Trimarchi & Natalie Nitsche, 2023. "Too worried about the environment to have children? Or more worried about the environment after having children? The reciprocal relationship between environmental concerns and fertility," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2023-023, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    2. Chen, Shuyang, 2024. "Fertility rate, fertility policy, and climate policy: A case study in China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 339-348.

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