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Vienna Yearbook of Population Research 2024, pp. 61-75, 2024/12/09
Population and climate change
Contemporary demographic patterns differ widely between countries. The combined trajectories of population growth and the climate crisis will lead to a redistribution of people on the planet, with urbanization offering both promise and risk for efforts to mitigate climate change. While all individuals contribute to emissions, they do not do so in the same ways, and nor are they affected proportionately. In this paper, we argue for a more evidence-based use of demographic data to bolster the effectiveness of climate change mitigation and adaptation to reduce both population risks and vulnerabilities, and underscore
the important role of rights-based, people-centred population policies in climate action.
Keywords: Demography ; Climate change adaptation ; Vulnerability ; Mitigation ; Urbanization ; Population policies ; Population dynamics
