The Mitigation Potential of Plant-based Diets: From Science to Policy

A COP24 Side Event

Humane Society International


Animal agriculture has a massive environmental burden, including as a major greenhouse gas emitter. In nearly every step of meat, egg and dairy production, climate-changing gases are released into the atmosphere, potentially disrupting weather, temperature and ecosystem health. Hence food choices have a significant influence on climate change.

Shifting towards more climate-friendly plant-based diets should be a priority in developed countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs – climate action plans) in order to reduce animal agriculture’s climate impact. However, no governments are currently meaningfully addressing the farm animal sector’s greenhouse gas emissions by introducing policies to encourage a shift towards more plant-based diets.

This event discussed a toolkit of policy recommendations to encourage a shift towards more plant-based diets as a way to combat climate change.

13 December 2018, 11:30–13:00

Room Warmia, COP24 Katowice

Watch a recording of the livestreamed event.

Read the press release.

Organisers

Humane Society International

Green Course

Speakers

Florent Marcellesi MEP, Greens/EFA, European Parliament

Dr. Doru-Leonard Irimie, DG Research & Innovation, European Commission

Dr. Cristina Tirado, Loyola Marymount University

Marie Persson, Nordic Food Policy Lab

Dr. Marco Springmann, Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food, University of Oxford

Jenny Chandler, Forward Food, FAO Special Ambassador for Pulses 2016

Moderator

Alexandra Clark, Humane Society International/Europe

Speaker bios

Agenda

Watch a recording of the livestreamed event.

11:30 Seating and welcome

11:35 Dr. Marco Springmann, Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food, University of Oxford

11:42 Florent Marcellesi MEP, Greens/EFA, European Parliament

11:49 Marie Persson, Nordic Food Policy Lab

11:56 Dr. Doru-Leonard Irimie, FOOD2030, European Commission

12:03 Jenny Chandler, Forward Food, FAO Special Ambassador for Pulses 2016

12:10 Dr. Cristina Tirado, Loyola Marymount University

12:17 Moderated Q&A session

13:00 END

HSI’s 2017 report, Addressing Unsustainable Animal Product Consumption in the European Union [PDF], offers policy recommendations that could serve as a model for UN Member States.

<< Back to Animal Agriculture and Climate Change

Learn More Button Inserter