Activists around the world are calling on governments to put food systems at the forefront of tackling the climate crisis. The campaign for a ‘Plant Based Treaty’ will create bottom-up pressure for leaders to negotiate a global agreement to halt the impact of animal agriculture on the planet.
Actions are taking place outside nearly 100 town and city halls worldwide including: Amsterdam, Lisbon, Murcia, Rome, Napoli, Thessaloniki, Manchester, Bristol, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Toronto, Seoul, Mumbai, Ankara, and Tel Aviv to encourage leaders to sign the Treaty.
Leveraging this grassroots support, the campaign will work towards obtaining endorsements by 10 million individuals, 10,000 organizations, 10,000 businesses, and 50 cities by 2023, ahead of the Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement (GST).
Several high-profile celebrities have given their support to the treaty, including Moby, Leona Lewis, and Sophie Aldred.
The Treaty urges leaders to negotiate a global agreement around the following three principles:
RELINQUISH – No land use change, ecosystem degradation or deforestation for the purposes of animal agriculture
REDIRECT – An active transition away from animal-based agricultural systems to plant-based food systems
RESTORE – Restore key ecosystems and reforest the Earth
Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries entered into a pact to limit global warming to below 2°C – and preferably 1.5°C – above pre-industrial levels. While reducing the use of fossil fuels is an important way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, alone, it is not enough to meet this legally binding target.
The Plant Based Treaty draws attention to the effects of meat, dairy, and egg farming, which are driving carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions, three major greenhouse gases. Experts say methane reductions are probably the only way of avoiding temperature rises above 1.5°C, and the biggest opportunity to slow warming between now and 2040.
International recording artist Moby stated, “As the production of meat and dairy is a leading cause of the climate emergency, it’s clear that we cannot solve the climate crisis without going plant based. Change is imperative, and I endorse the Plant Based Treaty, for the animals, the planet, and human health.”
Anita Krajnc, Global Campaign Coordinator for the Plant Based Treaty stated, “The sixth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) agreement makes it clear that it is more critical than ever to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and identifies a plant-based diet as a key method of achieving this. With our global temperature set to rise by 3°C unless we take urgent action, it is now imperative that we drive awareness of how our food systems – and animal agriculture in particular – are contributing towards the climate crisis.”
