10billion global population ‘unsustainable’

GBDESK//

US special climate envoy John Kerry told AFP that the world’s population will not be tenable in 2050, when it is projected to hit nearly 10 billion, but refrained from asking Americans to give up steaks.

Since November, the global population has officially crossed eight billion, more than three times the figure in 1950. This has already stretched food and energy needs and supplies. UN projections say the figure will balloon to 9.7 billion in the middle of the century.

“I don’t think it’s sustainable personally,” he said in an interview on Tuesday. “We need to figure out how we’re going to deal with the issue of sustainability and the numbers of people we’re trying to take care of on the planet.”

Global warming is exacerbating the problem. The 2015 Paris Agreement calls for capping global warming at “well below” two degrees Celsius and 1.5C if possible.

Producing food for eight billion mouths accounts for over a fourth of greenhouse gas emissions.

“I’ve been to a number of African countries where they’re very proud of their increased birth rate but the fact is, it’s unsustainable for life today, let alone when you add the future numbers,” Kerry said.