COP28, climate anxiety and a look back at 2023

December 2023 Update

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DECEMBER 2023

Dear John,

It's our final email of the year, and there's plenty to look back on from an eventful 12 months. That includes a round-up from our Head of Campaigns & Communications, Alistair Currie, and a dive into some of our 2023 media coverage.

COP28 drew to a close in December, leaving everyone with a degree of hope, but an awful lot of frustration. Our Choice Ambassador, Joan Kembabazi, was in Dubai and has reported back on her time there. We also look at the recent release of the UN Tipping Points report, which warns of irreversible environmental disasters.

Finally, we would like to thank you for all your support this year and we wish you all the best in 2024!

- The PM team

POPULATION MATTERS NEWS

A year of progress, friendships and change

From addressing the UN to the departure of our director of seven years, 2023 was a big year for Population Matters. Alistair Currie, our Head of Campaigns, looks back at the year that was – and forward to what's in store in 2024.

Meet our Partnerships, Advocacy & Voice Manager

Abimbola Junaid joined us in May this year in a brand-new role that seeks to improve partnerships and foster relationships around the world. Here she explains a little more about the role and why it's so essential to Population Matters.

2023 in review: Population Matters in the media

It's been another busy year at Population Matters, which is reflected in the amount of media coverage we received in the last 12 months. Here, we look at some of the articles, comment pieces and podcasts featuring Population Matters in 2023.

POPULATION & ENVIRONMENT

COP28 and the Tipping Points report

With COP28 wrapping in Dubai, one issue that didn't make the agenda was human population growth, even though abundant evidence links it to our environmental crises. The UN also released its ‘Tipping Points’ report, and despite its grave warnings about environmental disasters it only hints at one of the underlying causes, population.

Climate anxiety and fear of the future

Online searches for “climate anxiety” have risen in recent years, and a recent study suggests people are not having children due to fears of climate breakdown. With wildfires, floods and heatwaves on the news, it’s apparent how climate change affects the planet, but it’s important to reflect on how it also impacts our mental health and the personal solutions there are to be found.

The highs and lows of COP28

From 31 November to 12 December, people gathered in Dubai for COP28 to discuss the climate emergency and the need for the immediate phase-out of fossil fuels and a transition to greener economies. Population Matters Choice Ambassador Joan Kembabazi was there, and she tells us about her experience at the conference.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS & SEXUAL HEALTH

Gender-based violence and the condom conundrum

Despite being acknowledged as a global public health issue by the World Health Organization, gender-based violence (GBV), continues around the world. Our Content and Campaigns Specialist, Florence Blondel, delves into the intricate links between GBV, unintended pregnancies, rising fertility rates, sexually transmitted diseases, and the disempowerment of the abused.

Why do people want us to have more kids?

"Another central tenet of the argument put forward by pronatalists often revolves around ageing populations and faltering economies; who is going to pay for us as we get older? But where do they imagine this pyramid scheme of human beings will end?"

Read our take on the pronatalist movements around the world, published on The Independent on the 3 December.

Quote of the month

"Many people are still wary of talking of family planning in the climate space… yet we also know that voluntary rights-based family planning is critical to women’s and girls’ opportunities and therefore building resilience to climate change"

- Andrew Mitchell, Minister of State of the United Kingdom for Development and Africa

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