Dear [insert name of candidate],

I am calling on you to recognise that:

·  Scotland has made international environmental commitments of which it can be proud.
However,

·  Scotland has never had a larger population in its history. This population is forecast to increase by 9 per cent by 2039. Over this period the population of the benchmark EU15 nations is due to decline.

·  The Scottish population is consuming more than a sustainable share of global resources, and increasing population growth makes achieving our international commitments impossible.

·  Tackling the changing demography of Scotland by calling for additional population growth is compounding one problem with another.

Of course, we all understand that the Scottish population is getting older. However, to see this as negative is to undervalue the economic benefits that our older citizens bring. For example, they play a vital role in childcare, enabling parents to return to productive work. You will also be aware that studies also show that a simple working population dependency ratio is a poor indication of the wealth of an economy. Of far more importance is the participation, innovation and education of the workforce.

I ask you to commit to policies that show a modern, progressive and sustainable approach to helping Scotland meet its environmental obligations through adopting sustainable policies on population. In particular, I ask you to advocate for policies to:

·  Ensure that family planning advice and support is available without constraint throughout Scotland.

·  Enable women to return to work.

·  Remove barriers to older citizens remaining in, or returning to, the workplace.

·  Tackle health inequalities that limit the opportunities for our older citizens, and which cost the NHS dearly.

·  Encourage a vibrant, innovative and globally sustainable economy that can meet the needs of Scotland.

·  Recognise that population growth is a poor solution for meeting Scotland's demographic challenges.

Please let me know of your approach to this issue, as this will affect my vote.

Yours sincerely,