Demographic dynamics and rights-based population policies for effective climate change adaptation and mitigation

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.