MANILA, 9 July 2021 — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) underscored the need for urgent climate action to keep families and communities safe amid worsening climate impacts, in observance of World Population Day on Sunday, July 11.
 
July 11th of every year is declared World Population Day through UN Resolution 45/216, with the aim of bringing attention to various population-related issues including poverty, health, human rights, equality, environmental degradation, and the importance of population management.
 
Human population growth has increased demand for fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal, which all emit massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. According to the UN Population Fund, the world's population increased from 1.6 billion in 1900 to over 7.5 billion in just over a century—during which carbon dioxide emissions also increased twelve-fold.
 
By 2050, the world's population is anticipated to reach nine billion. Without changes in how we live and we do business across all levels and sectors—especially in terms of extracting natural resources and emitting carbon—global warming will only worsen in the coming years and decades. And during a climate crisis—just as we have seen around the world during the pandemic—it is the most vulnerable families and communities that will be hit the hardest.
 
Today is a call for individuals, families, communities, and government leaders at all levels to take concrete steps to change how we live and how we treat the world and those we share it with: Undertake lifestyle changes at homes, schools, and offices; pursue sustainable and circular business practices and models; ingrain climate awareness and spark action in communities through initiatives like going zero-plastic, starting community gardens, and improving waste management.
 
The CCC reiterates: now is the time for everyone to act. The longer the delay, the more painful and expensive the consequences will be. On the other hand, stronger and timelier climate action can save more lives, avoid trillions of dollars of economic damage globally, and secure resilience for families and communities not just today, but in years and decades still to come.