Halving the world’s population (not like Thanos) would be better for the Earth

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-07-27 12:52

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Gradually halving population growth from 8 billion to 4 billion people in 200 years' time would make humanity more sustainable, say an international group of researchers. They say negative impacts, like decreased wildlife populations and increased carbon emissions, have got worse as the human population has increased. Reducing excessive consumption is important, they say, but decreasing the overall population would help. Many countries, including NZ, are already having fewer than two children per couple. However, the authors say that improving access to reproductive health services and improving education for girls is needed for this to happen worldwide.