ABSTRACT
World population growth is increasingly being recognised as a significant driver of environmental catastrophe, following several decades of near-silence on this controversial matter. This chapter discusses two questions that arise as a corollary: should population growth be brought under sustainability governance and if it is, are there appropriate measures (that is, instruments of governance that are both effective and ethical) for stabilising, perhaps even reducing, human numbers? Regarding the first question, a case is made for inclusion on the basis of current population projections and of evidence concerning the adverse impact of rising numbers on environmental risks like climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource shortages. Although fertility rates are falling globally, the chapter suggests that public policy has an important role to play in sustaining transitions to replacement level. The second part of the analysis identifies a portfolio of measures that exemplify modes of liberal governance and comply with, indeed advance, human (especially women’s) rights. These include provision of a full range of reproductive health services, including family planning, financial incentives to procreate responsibly, and education about the benefits of individuals doing no more than replace themselves. This applies to all regions, regardless of their stage of development.
