Welcome to Common Ground

Population, Environment & Development Information and Resources

What is Common Ground?

Common Ground is an awareness raising and advocacy project in Australia set up to advance the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).

Common Ground is an alliance of the Australian Reproductive Health Alliance (ARHA) and Sexual Health & Family Planning Australia (SH&FPA).

Latest Media

350 - 24 October 2009 - International Day of Climate Change Action On October 24, join people all over the world to take a stand for a safe climate future.
Stand Up and Take Action - Make Poverty History The Make Poverty Histroy campign for action to end poverty and climate change will take place across Australia between 16 and 18 October 2009. Stand Up is the world’s largest mobilisation and is a worldwide initiative seeking to end poverty, address its causes and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change Developing countries can shift to lower-carbon paths while promoting development and reducing poverty.....
15 September 2009
Report: Contraception Can Help Prevent Climate Change A report produced by the London School of Economics (LSE) has concluded that family planning is the most cost effective means of reducing global carbon dioxide emissions.
9 September 2009

Did you know?

No country, with the exception of a few oil rich states, has risen from poverty whilst still having high fertility rates.
UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health (June 2007).

In many regions, the Millenium Development Goals are not attainable without greater focus on slowing population growth, through making voluntary family planning universally accessible and empowering women to access reproductive health services.

While the greatest proportion of emissions currently comes from developed countries, which must urgently address the impact of their consumption levels, most of the increase in greenhouse gases will come from carbon-fuelled developing economies where population is growing.
UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health (June 2007)

In developing countries where the birth rate has fallen, between 25 – 40% of economic growth is attributable to demographic change, making family planning a highly effective investment.

What's new?

Have you seen the new Common Ground frequently asked questions?

1. What is the connection between population, environment and development?

Within the next fifty years, the planet's human population is expected to pass nine billion and the pressure on environmental resources will increase sharply as a result. We will not have enough land, water, or energy to meet the needs of future populations.

Common Ground: International Expert on Population and Environment

During the week of the 18 -22 September 2007, Heather D’Agnes, an international expert on population and the environment, visited Canberra and Melbourne under the Common Ground Project to help raise awareness about the links between population, environment and development. Population-health-environment is an integrated approach to development that recognises that dealing with complex development priorities - such as poverty alleviation, environmental protection or food security - requires approaches that simultaneously link humans, their health, and their environments. < More >

Common Ground: Postcard Campaign

On the 18 July 2007 Common Ground launched its postcard campaign. The aim of the postcard was to help raise public awareness of the links between population, environment and development as well as generate discussions on these issues. Thanks to Avant Card’s part sponsorship the postcard was distributed free to the public and displayed at a variety of prominent public venues in major cities around the country.

How can you help

You can help by writing to the Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith demanding that Australia meets its commitment to increase its Official Development Assistance (ODA) to 0.7% of GDP by 2015, with a greater proportion of this assistance to be allocated to reproductive health, including voluntary family planning.

Stephen Smith: House of Representatives, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 S.Smith.MP@aph.gov.au