Vishleshan for Regulatory Exams, 11 July 2025: Harnessing India’s Population to Fight Climate Change

To get ready for the UPSC, RBI, SEBI, or NABARD exam, you have to stay updated about key economic and regulatory updates. In today’s edition of Vishleshan, we discuss how India’s population can act as a weapon to fight Climate Change. These issues are highly relevant for competitive exams and offer valuable insights into India’s evolving economic scenario. Keep reading to stay ahead with a clear understanding of these current updates.

Also, know why RBI Grade B Phase 1 Exam: The Silent Eliminator of 99% Aspirants & What is the Finance and Management Syllabus for RBI Grade B Exam?

India’s Population: A Weapon Against Climate Change

Context: The argument that a growing headcount is bad for the planet obscures the climate solutions that can be drawn from the power of multitudes. Signs have emerged in India already. If we get our strategy right, we could move from being ground zero of vulnerability to a position of climate leadership. India leads the world in solar irrigation, energy-efficient lighting and electric two- as well as three-wheelers.

Link to the Article: Mint

On this World Population Day, the conventional narrative often portraying population growth as an inherent detriment to the planet is being critiqued. India, now the world’s most populous nation, stands at a unique confluence of climate vulnerability and demographic opportunity. This position, rather than being a contradiction, presents a strategic advantage, asserting that it is “what we do with our population and not just how many we are” that will define India’s future and global climate trajectory.

World Population Day:

World Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11th, which aims to raise awareness of global population issues. It was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989. The date, July 11th, was chosen because on that day in 1987, the world’s population reached five billion.

• Theme for 2025: The theme for World Population Day 2025 is “Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world”. This theme underscores the focus on reproductive rights, agency, and social factors influencing fertility.

Top Five Most Populated Countries in the World:

As of current estimates, the top populated countries are:

1. India
2. China
3. United States
4. Indonesia
5. Pakistan

Projections for the Future: Population trends are disparate globally.

• Many countries, especially developed ones like China, Japan, and parts of Europe, are facing falling birth rates and aging populations, actively encouraging citizens to have more children.
• Conversely, “quite a few entire nations or specific population segments still contend with large family sizes and poor access to reproductive healthcare”.

How Population Trends Affect the Overall Economy:

Population trends have profound and multifaceted impacts on a country’s economy:

• Labor Force and Productivity:
  • A young and growing population (like India’s) can provide a large and expanding labour force, which is a key driver of economic growth.
  • However, if this large labour force is not adequately educated, skilled, and provided with productive employment opportunities, it can become a burden (demographic load) rather than an asset (demographic dividend).
  • Aging populations (like in Japan or Europe) face challenges of a shrinking workforce, increased old-age dependency ratios, and potential strains on social security and healthcare systems.
• Consumption and Demand: A large and growing population signifies a vast domestic market, driving consumption and investment, which can sustain economic momentum.
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A diverse and dynamic population can be a wellspring of innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity.
• Resource Strain: Rapid population growth can put immense pressure on natural resources (water, land, energy), infrastructure (housing, transport), and public services (education, healthcare), potentially leading to environmental degradation and resource scarcity if not managed sustainably. The article addresses the notion that “more people inevitably means more emissions, higher degradation and a greater drain on resources is arguably one-sided”.
• Investment and Capital Accumulation: Demographic trends influence savings and investment patterns. A younger population might prioritize consumption, while a middle-aged population might save more.

Linkage of India’s Economic Resilience with Population:

India’s large population, often perceived as a challenge, is increasingly being recognized as a strategic advantage for its economic resilience and particularly for climate action.

• “Scale is a Lever, Not a Load”: India’s population of “over 1.4 billion is often seen as a challenge. But our size is also a powerful handle”.
• Cost-Effectiveness of Climate Solutions: India’s scale “enables climate solutions to be deployed at costs and speeds that smaller nations simply cannot match”.
• Driving Global Shifts: If India successfully implements climate solutions, it “would shift global economics, trajectories and expectations”.
• Examples of Success “Because of” Population: India leads the world in solar irrigation, energy-efficient lighting, and electric two- and three-wheelers. These gains occurred “not despite our population, but because of it”. This implies that the sheer market size and collective action enabled by a large population facilitate rapid adoption and scaling of these technologies.

Analysis of the Article: Decoding Population as a Strategic Advantage for Climate Action

The article argues for a paradigm shift in viewing India’s population, emphasizing its potential as a strategic asset for climate action and sustainable development, rather than solely a burden.

1. A Global Population Puzzle and Nuanced Understanding:

• Disparate Trends: The article acknowledges the “global population puzzle,” with disparate trends: falling birth rates and aging populations in some countries (China, Japan, Europe), versus large family sizes and poor access to reproductive healthcare in others.
• Beyond Numbers to Agency: The dilemma is “not the number of people alone, but their agency and access to planned parenthood—choices shaped by societal norms, education, healthcare, financial independence and physical access, plus the affordability of birth control”.
• Interwoven Well-being, Equity, and Sustainability: Population matters because “well-being, equity and sustainability are interwoven, and that’s where India’s size and scale come to the fore”.

2. Vulnerability as a Catalyst for Change:

• Young and Mobile Demography: India’s demography is “young, mobile and increasingly urban”. While this creates pressures, it also fosters a “gameness for change”.
• Industrialization Without Carbonization: Unlike older economies, India has the “conditions and will to become the first major economy to industrialize without carbonizing”. This means “leapfrogging to cleaner, more efficient systems—low-carbon cities, resilient agriculture and a skilled green workforce”.
• Climate Pressures Fuel Innovation: Climate pressures (heatwaves, inconsistent rainfall) are “more frequent and severe.” This “vulnerability is real,” but that “urgency also fuels innovation.” Some of India’s most promising climate solutions are “emerging not from boardrooms, but from communities on the front lines of change”.

3. Population as a Driver of Climate Action and Market Size:

• Natural Resources: India has the “natural resources to grow and thrive, whether it is to grow all the food we must or to generate all the renewables we need”.
• Resource Efficiency: However, it requires a “step change in resource efficiency and productivity—higher yields, better incomes and lower environmental impact”.
• Commercialization of Solutions: India’s “scale generates the addressable market size to commercialize solutions” (e.g., green cooling technologies, sustainable construction materials) that can “lower the ‘green premium’ for India and potentially for the rest of the world too”.

4. Addressing Weaknesses for Inclusive Climate Strategy:

• Amplify Strengths and Weaknesses: Population is “non-discriminating; it can amplify both our strengths and weaknesses”.
• Foundational Building Blocks: To turn population into a “climate asset,” India must invest in foundational building blocks that still need strengthening: education, healthcare, skilling, female labour force participation, and low-carbon infrastructure, as well as policy frameworks.
• Addressing Inequality: India’s population is “not a uniform monolith.” Climate risk and adaptability are “unevenly distributed across various demographic segments.” For scale to work, it “has to work for everyone.” A climate strategy that ignores inequality will be “unfair” and “ineffective”.
• Supporting SMEs: Investments are needed in sustainability innovations that “millions of small and medium enterprises can afford,” as they employ “tens of millions” and “cannot afford to leave this sector behind”.

5. Framing for the Future:

• Long-Term Consequence: Population dynamics are “slow to change but long in consequence,” outlasting conventional cycles and plans, making correct framing crucial.
• From Crisis to Leadership: If India views its 1.4 billion-plus people as a “crisis,” the response will be “narrow and unimaginative.” However, if viewed as a “platform for bold and inclusive climate action,” India could move from being “ground zero for climate vulnerability to centre-stage for climate leadership”.

In conclusion, India’s enormous population, when viewed through the lens of empowerment, agency, and strategic climate action, can transform from a perceived liability into a powerful asset. By leveraging its scale for cost-effective climate solutions, fostering innovation born from vulnerability, and ensuring that its climate strategy is inclusive across all demographic segments, India has the potential not only to address its own climate challenges but also to lead global efforts towards sustainable industrialization without carbonization.

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