Protest by a coalition of groups demands a Plant Based Treaty to be negotiated at COP28

Media Contacts:

Dubai:
Enric Noguera: +34 608 77 90 05, [email protected]
Steven George: +31 6 48072566, [email protected]

Global:
[email protected]

Media Files: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DzYCnX5w_IDgfeKgaQQ8LU1lKg0jH0p3 

December 9, 2023, UAE — A coalition of groups calling for a Plant-Based Treaty to be negotiated at COP28 held a protest at the main entrance to the blue zone this morning.

COBASE, which focuses on how to design natural cities, and the Gherush92 Committee for Human Rights, joined the Plant Based Treaty protest. People stopped by to watch and film the protest.

Plant Based Treaty science ambassadors Steven George and Joy van Breda did outreach to promote our new Safe and Just report, and people were asking for our colourful fliers.

Placards reading “Sign the Plant Based Treaty” were in several different languages, including Arabic, Spanish, Turkish, Japanese and Georgian.

“The emissions from the food system alone will put the 1.5 and 2C climate target out of reach – we need a safe and just transition of our food system to keep us safe within our planetary boundaries, which is also socially just that gives everyone a voice and brings everyone to the table,” said Steven George, science ambassador for the Plant Based Treaty.

Enric Noguera from Plant Based Treaty Netherlands said, “We organized this protest to advocate for a just system that looks at solutions in a holistic way, including animals, nature, and people. We advocated for nations to negotiate a Plant Based Treaty that helps guide the much-needed, and urgent, transition of our food systems from destructive animal agriculture toward a truly fair, healthy, and sustainable food system.”

Background

The Plant Based Treaty have official UN Observer Status and are nominated for the 2024 Earth Shot Prize. The initiative is inspired by treaties that have addressed the threats of ozone layer depletion and nuclear weapons and has been endorsed by 22 cities, including Edinburgh, Los Angeles and Didim, Turkey and has attracted support from 120,000 individual endorsers, 5 Nobel laureates, IPCC scientists, and more than 3000 groups and businesses, including the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, and chapters of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.

The Plant Based Treaty has secured high-profile endorsements from celebrities, including Chris Packham and Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney, who issued a written statement calling for politicians to support the Plant Based Treaty. They said: “We believe in justice for animals, the environment and people. That’s why we support the Plant Based Treaty and urge individuals and governments to sign it.”

www.plantbasedtreaty.org