Young Americans Rethink Parenthood as Climate Anxiety Grows

More young Americans are pausing on plans for parenthood because of climate change, according to a 2024 Lancet analysis. The study of 16-to-25-year-olds found 52% expressed reluctance about having children, pointing to worries about the planet's future and the environmental costs of raising another generation.

The hesitation reflects both personal unease and a sense of collective duty. Amanda Porretto, 27, captured that tension: she questions adding another person to the world when so much environmental repair is still needed. Many in this age group wrestle with the pull of family aspirations against the urgency of cutting emissions.

Bioethics specialists warn that having children carries a pronounced "carbon legacy." Johns Hopkins scholar Travis Rieder says the decision is carbon-heavy: a child becomes an individual with a lifetime of emissions, and that footprint can ripple across generations. The concern is underscored by stark global comparisons — the U.S. produces roughly 123 times more carbon per person than a nation like Ghana.

Research beyond the Lancet report supports the trend. A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that childless adults under 50 are four times likelier than older adults to let climate considerations shape their choice about having kids. Environmental organizations also note that parenthood ranks among the more carbon-intensive life decisions.

At the same time, voices such as Rieder and Nandita Bajaj of Population Balance remind the public that reducing individual carbon footprints should be weighed against the profound social and emotional value of raising children. Many Americans are searching for compromises: smaller families, greener living habits, or other strategies to reconcile parenthood with environmental responsibility.

This shift in thinking signals a deeper generational reassessment of major life milestones. For many young people, the question has broadened from whether to have children to how to nurture life responsibly in a world already strained by climate change.