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UK Government urged to act now on meat reduction

News Section Icon Published 12/08/2021

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Yesterday (11th August), we urged the UK Government to take immediate action to reduce meat and dairy consumption to help tackle the climate crisis.

Prioritise food system change

In response to the alarming situation revealed in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, our Global CEO, Philip Lymbery, wrote to ministers Alok Sharma and George Eustice stressing the vital importance of reducing meat and dairy consumption and changing our food system to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

As hosts to the next annual UN climate change conference COP26 later this year, the UK has a unique opportunity to become a world leader in stopping the climate crisis. Tackling the impact of meat and dairy consumption and developing cultured meat and other alternative proteins, must be urgently addressed.

Part of the solution

In his letter, Philip said: “We cannot afford to ignore the contribution of food system change as part of the solution to tackle the climate crisis. It would be transformative if Britain was preparing to announce a serious commitment in tackling the climate impact of meat and dairy consumption.

“The substantial investment costs associated with many other measures needed to tackle climate change would not be needed to the same extent in reducing meat and dairy consumption, although farmers would need support as they transition away from livestock to arable and horticulture.”

You can read our letter in full here.

Factory farming is a major contributor to the degradation of the world's natural resources and the rapid increase in climate change. Please support us to continue our work to end factory farming by donating today.

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If you have any further questions regarding this, or any other matter, please get in touch with us at supporters@ciwf.org.uk. We aim to respond to all queries within two working days. However, due to the high volume of correspondence that we receive, it may occasionally take a little longer. Please do bear with us if this is the case. Alternatively, if your query is urgent, you can contact our Supporter Engagement Team on +44 (0)1483 521 953 (lines open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm).