COP28

herd of cows eating hay in cowshed on dairy farm

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Sustainability / Environment

US Congressman Accuses UN of “Anti-Beef Strategy” Amid Warnings of Climate Diet Denial Post COP28

Following the commitments made at COP28 to reduce agricultural emissions, food awareness organization ProVeg International has warned of a new phenomenon — climate diet denial. One of the outcomes of COP28 was the publication of the FAO’s Roadmap to 1.5°C, which calls for measures that would decrease meat consumption. The report prompted US Congressman Mike Flood to issue a statement complaining that the United Nations has adopted an “anti-beef strategy”; he subsequently introduced a Resolution into Congress opposing the allocation of any Federal funds towards initiatives that would reduce meat consumption. According to ProVeg, this is an example of climate diet denial. While climate change denial involves claiming that human activity is not contributing to rising temperatures, climate diet denial means refusing to acknowledge the …

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© Plant Based Treaty
Sustainability / Environment

Reports by Plant Based Treaty and FAO Outline Path to Food System Transition Following COP28

As COP28 comes to an end, reports by the Plant Based Treaty and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have outlined how a 1.5°C-aligned food system could be achieved. The Plant Based Treaty has published a report called Safe and Just, which calls for a “vegan doughnut economics” strategy (adapted from the book Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth) that meets everyone’s needs while staying within social and planetary boundaries. It provides a framework for transitioning to a plant-based food system within the timeframes for net zero, claiming that this could free up three-quarters of agricultural land for rewilding. Safe and Just also calls for a redirection of subsidies currently given to the meat and dairy industries towards improving the accessibility of plant-based food. Furthermore, …

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Make COP Matter campaign

© Meatless Farm
Charity & Campaigns

Meatless Farm Tells UK Government to “Make COP Matter” by Reducing Meat Consumption

As the end of the COP28 climate summit approaches, alt meat brand Meatless Farm is calling on the UK government to “Make COP Matter” with a new campaign. The company is asking the government to “support farmers, shift subsidies, and ‘Meat Less’”. For the latter, Meatless Farm has drafted a plan outlining regulatory and financial measures that could scale down the production and consumption of meat, while also increasing the availability and consumption of plant-based foods. These include tax breaks and grants for farmers who produce plant-based foods, more R&D into alt proteins, and new food sustainability laws. The campaign has been partially inspired by UN climate chief Simon Stiell, who says that “Good intentions won’t halve emissions this decade or save lives right now”. …

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Food for Climate Pavilion

© Food4Climate Pavilion
Fairs & Events

Food4Climate Pavilion Returns to COP to “Unlock Potential of Plant-Rich Diets”

For a second time, this year’s COP climate summit will feature pavilions dedicated to food system change, including the Food4Climate pavilion. Led by a coalition of leading plant-based and animal rights organizations, such as ProVeg International, World Animal Protection, and Upfield, the pavilion will spotlight the environmental impact of the food system to delegates from almost 200 countries. It will also outline how food production could be transformed to reach net zero, including through nature-positive farming practices, plant-rich diets, and alternative proteins. The aim is to mainstream the transition towards a more resilient food system, benefiting both the climate and people affected by food insecurity. Delegates will be encouraged to get involved in the pavilion through interactive exhibits, workshops, and presentations. The full programme can …

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COP28 to serve predominantly vegan and vegetarian food

Image courtesy of ProVeg
Fairs & Events

Two-Thirds of Food Served at COP28 Climate Summit Will Be Meat-Free

In what has been described as a “historic decision”, two-thirds of the food served at this year’s COP28 climate summit in Dubai will be vegan and vegetarian. The decision follows campaigning from youth group YOUNGO (the Youth and Children constituency of the UNFCCC) and its Food@COP campaign, supported by food awareness organization ProVeg International. The groups initially sent a letter to the COP28 presidency earlier this year calling for a mostly plant-based menu at the summit, and received a response confirming that plant-based options would be available. However, it was initially unclear what proportion of the food this would apply to. The final menu is described as “1.5°C aligned”, ensuring that delegates eat within a daily food budget that stays within the Paris Agreement goal …

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Plant-rich food at COP27

Image: Unsplash / Edgar Castrejon
Fairs & Events

Plant-Based Food to Be Served at COP28 Following Outreach by Youth Activists

The presidency of the COP28 climate summit has written to youth activists from the groups YOUNGO (Youth Climate Movement) and Food@COP to confirm that plant-based foods will be available at the event. It follows a letter sent by the groups with the help of ProVeg International, which called for at least three-quarters of the menu at COP28 to be plant-based. Additionally, the letter suggested that the food should be affordable, nutritious, culturally inclusive, sourced locally where possible, and feature clear emissions labeling. The response from the presidency confirms that the latter requests will be met, but there is currently no indication of what percentage of the food served will be plant-based. However, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber — the UAE COP28 President-Designate who signed the letter …

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Year of Sustainability UAE

Image: Year of Sustainability on Instagram
Sustainability / Environment

UAE to Promote Plant-Based Diets as Part of “Year of Sustainability”

As the UAE prepares to host the COP28 climate summit later this year, the country has declared 2023 the “Year of Sustainability”. As part of the nationwide campaign, citizens will be encouraged to adopt plant-based diets, along with wasting less food and eating appropriately-sized portions. Various initiatives will be launched to promote these choices, which could improve health outcomes as well as sustainability. Under the slogan “Today for Tomorrow”, the public will also be encouraged to make other sustainable lifestyle changes, including avoiding fast fashion and reducing water use. “Formidable” plant-based growth Interest in plant-based foods is growing rapidly in the UAE, with a report last year predicting that the country’s market for meat alternatives would grow with a “formidable CAGR” through to 2028. Last …

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