Dec. 23, 2009: During and after the Copenhagen climate summit, a coalition of vegetarian or vegan, environmental, animal rights and other groups and activists was formed to promote a major shift towards plant-based diets. Following a campaign of the Veg Climate Alliance, to “turn Copenhagen into CopenVegan,” the coalition is now presenting the draft of a declaration, “The Copenhagen Declaration on Meat Consumption and Climate Change” (text follows this release).

This declaration was initiated and first presented by Wayne Kao from Global Vegetarians Against Climate Change (GVACC) at a workshop of the Veg Climate Alliance in Copenhagen on Dec. 13th. This draft, which may be amended based on possible suggestions, marks the beginning of a global campaign to help save the planet through a major reduction in meat consumption. The coalition is presently seeking supporters for the declaration and calls on likeminded groups and activists to join their campaign. They also plan to get vegetarianism/veganism on the agenda of the COP16 climate summit in Mexico in 2010.

“We feel that the fate of humanity and all of Creation is at stake,” stated Richard H. Schwartz, director of the Veg Climate Alliance, “and it is essential that people recognize the urgency of dietary changes to avoid an impending global climate catastrophe.”

Wayne Kao from Global Vegetarian Against Climate Change (GVACC) explained the goals of the global campaign he is envisioning: “Since it is essential that meat consumption be sharply reduced if the world is to have a chance to avert a climate disaster, it is vital that all subsidies to the meat industry be stopped as soon as possible and instead that there be a major tax added to all meat and other animal products that are sold. This would not only reduce GHGs from livestock (estimated to be at least 51% in a recent article in World Watch magazine), but it would also reduce the consumption of water and energy, deforestation, species extinction, soil erosion, water pollution, desertification and other environmental problems as well as the current epidemics of heart disease, various types of cancer and other chronic degenerative diseases.”

The alliance believes this is probably the single most effective policy we can implement NOW to save the world from a climate change catastrophe in three to five years.

Albert Einstein was right, after all, when he said: “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”

For further information:
www.CopenVegan.com
http://www.VegClimateAlliance.org

If you would like to support the declaration and the campaign, please contact: Carolin@VegClimateAlliance.org

Press Contacts:
Europe:
- Denmark: Sune Borkfelt:  sune@vegetarforening.dk,  0045-40 58 64 18, Danish Vegetarian Society, http://www.vegetarforening.dk
- Geneva, Switzerland: Wayne Kao: kao@globalink.org, 0041-78 629 8963, Global Vegetarians Against Climate Change (GVACC)
- Portugal: Centro Vegetariano, http://www.centrovegetariano.org

North America:
Richard Schwartz,  Director@vegclimatealliance.org,  001-718 7615876, Veg Climate Alliance,  http://www.vegclimatealliance.org

Africa:
Philip Otieno, philmacotieno@gmail.com,  00254-724 857 647, Ecological Sustainability Programme Kenya Young Greens

Copenhagen Declaration on Meat Consumption and Climate Change

A call from people concerned about the future of humanity and the planet for a major shift to plant-based diets, in order to avoid an impending global climate catastrophe.

According to the cover article by two environmentalists in the November/December issue of World Watch magazine, the livestock sector is responsible for at least 51 percent of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). A 2006 UN Food and Agriculture Organization report indicated that animal-based agriculture is responsible for more GHGs (in CO2 equivalents) than all the cars, planes, ships and other means of transportation worldwide combined. Making the situation worse, if current trends continue, global meat production is  projected to double by 2050, with the associated increase in GHGs negating the effects of many positive changes, making it very difficult, if not impossible to reach the GHG reductions that climate experts believe is essential to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Technology-orientated solutions will not be sufficient to sufficiently mitigate global warming. A major societal shift to plant-based diets is essential.

To avoid a global climate catastrophe, it is urgent that governments, inter-governmental agencies, international donors and the development community, professional organizations, educators, religious, spiritual and political leaders and individuals, including artists and celebrities, promote effective steps to slow and ultimately reverse the growth of meat consumption by supporting the recommendations indicated below and by providing the resources and political and economic backing necessary to achieve them. Nothing less than the fate of humanity and all of creation is at stake and there is no time to spare.

Recommendations

• Ban all direct and indirect government subsidies for meat production, including support for animal feed crops, grazing lands and water for irrigation.
• Convert some of the areas currently used to grow food crops into forests to increase the absorption of CO2.
• Initiate a protocol under UNFCCC to reduce methane and nitrous oxide produced by livestock.
• Introduce a significant tax on all meat sold to create an incentive for people to shift toward plant-based diets and thereby providing an incentive for companies to produce more plant-based foods. The funds raised could be used to lower taxes/VAT on healthier and more climate-friendly foods (i.e. veg foods), educate people about shifting to plant-based diets, retrain people previously employed in the livestock industry, subsidize meat-producing companies willing to start producing plant-based alternatives, and establish sustainable food security programmes in developing countries, etc.
• Increase awareness about the devastating impacts of meat consumption on climate, other environmental concerns, public health, hunger, water and energy scarcities, and animal welfare.
• Implement carbon footprint labeling on meat products.
• Provide accurate information about plant-based diets and their many benefits.
• Provide increased access to healthy and affordable plant-based foods.
• Subsidize locally grown, organic plant-food production.
• Provide a variety of plant-based options at schools and other feeding programs.
• Encourage food producers to expand the number of healthy, nutritious meat substitutes and create financial and other incentives to do so.
• Use videos, the internet and other modern communication methods to educate people about the nature of the threats, the importance of actions to reduce them, and the health, environmental and other benefits of plant-based diets.
• Stress that a major shift to plant-based diets is essential to help meet the GHG emissions reduction targets that scientists claim are essential to avoid major climate upheavals.
• Encourage sustainable technologies and green, climate-friendly lifestyles.

The Declaration is supported by Danish Vegetarian Society, VegClimateAlliance, CopenVegan, Global Vegetarians Against Climate Change (GVACC), Nicolaas G. Pierson Foundation, Jewish Vegetarians of North America, Brazilian Vegetarian Society, Coalition for Plant-Based Solutions to Feed All, Centro Vegetariano, Wam Kat and others (list in formation)