What is Plant based Treaty and Why We Need It Now

Our Planet is going through a terrible crisis. Our climate, the lands and oceans and the whole natural world are in danger. And it's all thanks to human exploitation.

Fossil fuels and animal farming are the driving force behind global warming, deforestation, biodiversity loss, species extinction, water depletion and soil degradation. Through industrial pollution and extensive urbanisation, we are creating dead zones on our Planet. 

Greenhouse gases from meat, dairy and egg farming responsible for global warming

Our food system is not sustainable, and food production is indeed the biggest contributor to climate change. It is responsible for emissions of the three main greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, which are increasingly overheating our Earth. 

We need to urgently cut these gases emissions to slow global warming and save our Planet. Addressing fossil fuels is not enough. 

What is Plant based Treaty?

The Plant-Based Treaty is a global campaign designed to put food systems at the forefront of combating the climate crisis. The initiative launched on 31st August 2021 is modelled on the Fossil Fuel Treaty.

 The Treaty aims to halt the widespread degradation of critical ecosystems caused by animal agriculture and promote a shift to healthier, sustainable, plant-based diets.

The campaigners are urging scientists, individuals, businesses, and cities to endorse this call to action and pressure national governments to negotiate an international Plant Based Treaty.

Changing the food system to tackle climate crisis

Activists around the world are calling on governments to put food systems at the forefront of tackling the climate crisis and negotiate a global agreement to halt the impact of animal agriculture on the Planet.

The campaign will work towards 10 million individuals, 10,000 organisations, 10,000 businesses and 50 cities to endorse the treaty by 2023, ahead of the Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement (GST).

Celebrities, politicians and businesses support Plant based Treaty

Several high-profile politicians, MPs and celebrities have given their support to the treaty, including Moby and Leona Lewis. 

Moby said: "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."

The Vegan Kind is one of the businesses supporting the initiative ahead of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. As the UK's biggest vegan supermarket, the company has been promoting plant-based diets to its broad audience as one of the most important ways to flight climate crisis.

Plant based Treaty principles

The Plant based Treaty urges leaders to negotiate a global agreement around the following three principles:

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 a crucial way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is not enough to meet this target.

Reducing greenhouse emissions to stop climate change

The Plant based Treaty draws attention to the effects of meat, dairy and egg farming, which are driving three major greenhouse gases. Experts say methane reductions are probably the only way of avoiding temperature rises above 1.5°C, and the opportunity to slow warming between now and 2040. 

Anita Krajnc, Global Campaign Coordinator for the Plant Based Treaty said: "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 plant-based diets 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."

"With just five years left to reverse the worst effects of climate change, business as usual is no longer an option. It's time to switch toward a plant based economy to reverse the damage we have caused to the environment, and to promote a healthier society."

You can endorse the Treaty by visiting PlantBasedTreaty.org.