When reading the essay about the West’s falling birth rate (The NS Essay, 17 January), I was surprised that no mention was made of climate breakdown. Surely any discussion about why people are choosing not to have children must consider this factor in their decision-making. For example, in a 2021 study published in the Lancet, 10,000 people aged 16-25 were questioned in countries across the world. Of those in France, Portugal, the UK and the US, between 30 and 40 per cent said climate change made them hesitant to have children. An article by Damian Gayle published in the Guardian in 2023 cited research showing that many people are now basing their decision not to have children on fears about climate breakdown, including uncertainty about the future and the ecological impact of a growing human population.
For many young people in the West, the decision about whether to have children will become increasingly difficult as the impacts of climate change become more apparent and difficult to ignore.
Nicola Penwarden, Brighton
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