From 23-24 March 2009, more than 60 Members of Parliament across Europe and Asia, representatives from International Organisations such as UNFPA, and researchers on SRHR gathered in Oslo/Norway to discuss: To what extent are climate change and population dynamics interrelated and what can European policy makers do about this? 
 

The conference was organised in the framework of Countdown 2015 Europe, by the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF), the Norwegian All-Party Parliamentary Group: Norsk forening for seksualitet, samliv og reproduktiv helse and the Norwegian Association for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (NSRR). The 2-day conference generated an understanding of the need to include health issues and family planning in the discussion about climate change, in order to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

The links between population and climate change are complex and varied. While looking at the production of carbon dioxide and population growth in the countries, it is apparent that the wealthiest countries have the slowest population growth but the highest emissions of carbon dioxide. Conversely, the developing countries with a rapid population growth have the lowest emission in carbon dioxide. However, in the long run slowing down population growth will also have an impact. Large and poor families put pressure on the environment with an increasing need for fuel such as wood, and also water and other basic needs. Unintended pregnancies is the factor in population growth most open to programme and policy interventions. Preventing unwanted pregnancies through voluntary family planning and guaranteeing people’s right to reproductive health supplies can help slow population growth and moderate its environmental impact.

Members of Parliament from Laos (Hon. Phommasack Ty) and Iran (Hon. Ahmad-Ali Keikhah) shared their experience of dealing with the effects of climate change in their respective countries, making the link between the increasing demand for water and population growth and the need for Reproductive Health Supplies and Family planning in order to tackle the increasing impact of climate change in certain regions of the world. Members of Parliament from Bulgaria (Hon. Latchezar Toshev) and Switzerland (Hon. Yvonne Gilli) shared best practices in tackling the unmet need for family planning, strengthen health systems and integrate population factors into their strategies on the environment and climate change.