The Peoples’ Climate Vote

Reversing the trend of animal consumption and a shift to a plant-based food system will significantly reduce the pressure to clear new land, including pristine rainforests, and further damage carbon sinks and wildlife. Not only would a plant-based food system reverse habitat decline and wildlife diversity, but the returning forests, wetlands and savannahs would absorb more carbon than any other. For example, producing 100g of protein from cows requires an average of 164 m2 of land, but just 2.2 m2 of land for tofu: in other words, the land-use footprint for tofu is 1/75 that of cows.⁹ This land could then be rewilded and be used for climate and ecological purposes as part of a mass restoration of nature. Even the most impactful plant-based foods have just a fraction of the footprint of animal farming.

The science is clear, so why don’t more environmental charities talk about veganism as an essential climate action?

There still seems to be an unwillingness to address the scale of the animal agriculture problem or it is understated by some environmental organizations who imply the problem is down to intensive practices rather than animal farming itself. According to Meat consumption and climate change: the role of non-governmental organizations, “NGOs were found to privilege ‘consumer preference for animal products over the need for them’ despite also acknowledging the significant implications of livestock production.” They say, “Animal protection organizations were more likely than environmental NGOs to have promoted meat-free diets in response to climate change.”

There could be several barriers to the promotion of plant-based diets and food systems, in particular the staff of ENGOs not being entirely vegan and the fear of damaging fundraising campaigns. Staff may feel hypocritical promoting plant-based climate actions if they are not plant-based themselves. Many organizations are nervous to ask people to change their eating habits as it is easier to ask them to change their light bulbs, use a bag for life, sign a petition or cut down on water use.

As more of the staff of environmental groups become vegans and more and more scientific reports show the devastating impact of meat, dairy and eggs, we see these groups beginning to encourage supporters to incorporate more plant-based foods into their meals and to run campaigns calling for food system change. For example, at Greenpeace UK the vast majority of their workforce is vegan or vegetarian and in August 2020 launched a campaign demanding Tesco reduce meat sales by 50% by 2025 and increase their plant-based food range.

We call on all environmental groups to communicate to their supporters that a plant-based diet is the most effective way to minimize our impact on the planet. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in their Special Report on Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation, Sustainable Land Management, Food Security, and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Terrestrial Ecosystems reducing deforestation represents one of the most effective ways to mitigate climate change globally, with the potential to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by nearly a third. In Animal Agriculture is the Leading Cause of Climate Change: A Climate Healers Position Paper Sailesh Rao proposes the impact of animal agriculture is even more significant, causing at least 87% of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

We must urgently promote diet change and revolutionize our food systems. For the public to take this issue seriously, we need environmental organizations, community leaders and politicians to run public information campaigns and to take action on the devastating impact of animal agriculture and the essential strategy of promoting plant-based solutions now.

Fight Climate Change with Diet Change and Plant-based System Change

The reports demonstrate the urgent need for widespread public education campaigns and new public policies.

Public education campaigns can empower people to take positive actions at home, at work and as voters. They vote as consumers at the supermarket and at the ballot box. We need to take meat, dairy and eggs off the menu at hospitals, schools, public institutions, workplaces, and community events.

There needs to be basic scientific literacy on greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water pollution, extinction, and destruction of carbon sinks related to animal agriculture and the use of animal products as compared to plant-based alternatives.

Governments need to stop subsidies for animal feed, animal farming and slaughterhouses. We need policies to prevent any new construction of factory farms and to shut down slaughterhouses to stop the climate crisis. We need to redirect government subsidies to plant-based food solutions. We should subsidize farmers producing preferably organic and local fruits and vegetables. Additionally, government subsidies are needed for reforestation and rewilding.

From underdog to topdog: how to empower the public to embrace veganism as a key climate solution

The People’s Climate Vote shows that the vast majority of the public believe that the climate crisis is an emergency and that we should do everything possible to stop it. Scientific experts are pointing to food system change as a top priority. Now we need the public, animal, human rights and environmental groups, governments, business and institutions to jump onboard.