Population Matters

Population Matters
	File:Population Matters logo.jpg
Founded	1991
Founder	David Willey
Focus	Impact of population growth
Location	United Kingdom;
Key people	Simon Ross (CEO)
Website	populationmatters.org

Population Matters, formerly known as the Optimum Population Trust,^[1] is a registered United Kingdom charity,^[2] think tank, and campaign group concerned with the impact of population growth on long term sustainability, quality of life and the natural environment, specifically natural resources, climate change, and biodiversity.

Background

Population Matters researches climate change, energy requirements, biodiversity, and other environmental factors in relation to population numbers. It campaigns for population stabilisation and gradual decrease to sustainable levels for both the world and the United Kingdom. In 2009, the organisation issued a study asserting that contraception was the cheapest way of combating climate change. ^[3]

The organisation states that its intermediate aims are: improved provision of family planning and sex education, better education and rights for women, and that couples voluntarily "have two or fewer". For the UK specifically, it advocates greater effort to reduce the high rates of teenage pregnancy and unintended pregnancy and that immigration be brought into balance with emigration.

The Optimum Population Trust was founded in 1991 by the late David Willey. It was granted charitable status on 9 May 2006. The working name was changed to Population Matters in February 2011.

Chairs

The current chair is Roger Martin. Past chairs, in chronological order, were:

David Willey
Edmund Davey
Rosamund McDougall and John Guillebaud (co-chairs)
John Guillebaud
Val Stevens
Sue Birley
Val Stevens

Patrons

Sir David Attenborough OM CH CVO CBE, Naturalist, broadcaster and trustee of the British Museum and Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew; and a former controller of BBC Two
Lily Cole, model and actress
Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta, Frank Ramsey Professor of Economics, University of Cambridge
Professor Paul Ehrlich, Bing Professor of Population Studies, Stanford University
Baroness Shreela Flather, politician and past mayor of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Dr Jane Goodall DBE, Founder, Jane Goodall Institute, and UN Messenger of Peace
Susan Hampshire OBE, Actress and population campaigner
Professor John Guillebaud, Emeritus Professor of Family Planning and Reproductive Health, University College, London.
Dr James Lovelock CBE, Scientist and environmentalist known for proposing the Gaia theory that Earth functions as an organism, and author of 'The Revenge of Gaia'
Professor Aubrey Manning OBE, Emeritus Professor of Natural History, University of Edinburgh
Professor Norman Myers CMG, Visiting Fellow, Green College, Oxford University, and at Harvard University, Cornell University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Michigan University and University of Texas
Chris Packham, Naturalist, nature photographer, television presenter and author.
Sara Parkin OBE, Founder Director and Trustee of Forum for the Future, Chair of the Richard Sandbrook Trust, Board member of the European Training Foundation
Jonathon Porritt CBE, Founder Director of Forum for the Future and former Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission
Lionel Shriver Journalist and author
Sir Crispin Tickell GCMG KCVO, Chancellor of Kent University, Director of the Policy Foresight Programme at the James Martin Institute, and former UK Permanent Representative on the United Nations Security Council

References

External links

[1] ttp://populationmatters.org/about/history/

[2] "Optimum Population Trust, registered charity no. 1114109". Charity Commission for England and Wales.

[3] Contraception cheapest way to combat climate change

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Population
Major topics	Demographics of the world Demographic transition Estimates of historical world population Population growth Population momentum Projections of population growth World population
Population biology	Population decline Population density Physiological density Population dynamics Population model Population pyramid
Population ecology	Biocapacity Carrying capacity I = P × A × T Kaya identity Malthusian growth model Overshoot (population) World3 model
Society and population	Eugenics Dysgenics Human overpopulation Malthusian catastrophe Human population planning Compulsory sterilization Family planning One-child policy Two-child policy Overconsumption Political demography Population ethics Antinatalism Mere addition paradox Natalism Non-identity problem Reproductive rights Sustainable population Zero population growth
Publications	Population and Environment Population and Development Review
Lists	Population and housing censuses by country Largest cities World population milestones 6 billion 7 8 Population concern organizations
Events and organizations	7 Billion Actions Church of Euthanasia International Conference on Population and Development Population Action International Population Connection Population Matters United Nations Population Fund United Nations world population conferences Voluntary Human Extinction Movement World Population Conference World Population Day World Population Foundation
Related topics	Bennett's law Green Revolution Human impact on the environment Migration Sustainability
Commons Category

v t e Sustainability
Outline Index
Principles	Anthropocene Environmentalism Global governance Human impact on the environment Planetary boundaries Development
Consumption	Anthropization Anti-consumerism Circular economy Earth Overshoot Day Ecological footprint Ethical Green consumption Micro-sustainability Over-consumption Product stewardship Simple living Social return on investment Steady-state economy Sustainability Advertising Brand Marketing myopia Sustainable Consumer behaviour Market Systemic change resistance Tragedy of the commons
World population	Demographic transition Family planning Control Sustainable population
Technology	Appropriate Environmental technology Natural building Sustainable architecture Sustainable design Sustainable industries Sustainable packaging
Biodiversity	Biosecurity Biosphere Conservation biology Endangered species Holocene extinction Invasive species
Energy	Carbon footprint Renewable energy Sustainable energy
Food	Civic agriculture Climate-smart agriculture Community-supported agriculture Cultured meat Sustainable agriculture Sustainable diet Sustainable fishery
Water	Footprint Hydroelectricity Hydropower Marine energy Micro hydro Ocean thermal energy conversion Pico hydro Reclaimed water Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity Scarcity Security Small hydro Tidal power Tidal stream generator Water heat recycling Water recycling shower
Accountability	Corporate environmental responsibility Corporate social responsibility Environmental accounting Environmental full-cost accounting Environmental planning Sustainability Accounting Measurement Metrics and indices Reporting Standards and certification Sustainable yield
Applications	Advertising Art Business City Climate finance Community Disinvestment Eco-capitalism Eco-cities Eco-investing Eco-socialism Ecovillage Environmental finance Green economy Construction Fashion Finance Gardening Geopark Green Development Infrastructure Marketing Greening Impact investing Landscape Livelihood Living Market Organic movement Organizations Procurement Refurbishment Socially responsible business Socially responsible marketing Sanitation Sourcing Space Sustainability organization Tourism Transport Urban drainage systems Urban infrastructure
Sustainable management	Environmental Fisheries Forest Humanistic capitalism Landscape Materials Natural resource Planetary Recycling Waste
Agreements and conferences	UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm 1972) Brundtlandt Commission Report (1983) Our Common Future (1987) Earth Summit (1992) Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992) Agenda 21 (1992) Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) Lisbon Principles (1997) Earth Charter (2000) UN Millennium Declaration (2000) Earth Summit 2002 (Rio+10, Johannesburg) UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20, 2012) Sustainable Development Goals (2015)
Category Lists Science Studies Degrees

Background

Chairs

Patrons

See also

References

External links