2021 Press Releases
More than 14,000 sign petition urging Glasgow to endorse Plant Based Treaty during COP26 negotiations
Media Contact(s):
Bournemouth, UK: Nicola Harris (Director of Communications): +(44) 7597 514 343
Canada: Anita Krajnc (Global Campaign Coordinator): +1 (416) 825 6080
1 November, 2021
Glasgow:
With animal agriculture driving climate chaos and environmental devastation, campaigners are urging Glasgow to endorse the new Plant Based Treaty initiative which is backed by 17MPs in the UK parliament including Chris Stephens MP for Glasgow South West, David Linden MP for Glasgow East and Dr Lisa Cameron MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, Christine Jardine MP for Edinburgh West.
Kat Chan, Plant Based Treaty youth activist and president of Strathclyde Vegan Society emailed her councillors inviting Glasgow to become the third city to endorse the Plant Based Treaty, following endorsements in Rosario, Argentina and Boynton Beach, Florida. She said, “Glasgow has declared a climate emergency, and going plant-based is necessary to become net zero by 2030. We’re trying to get politicians, governments, and cities to endorse the Plant Based Treaty which encourages plant-based diet change to help avert a climate catastrophe.”
Cllr Martha Wardrop tabled a question at a council meeting last week, but it was not successful in the ballot of questions. Cllr John Molyneux said in an email to Chan, “We will seek other opportunities to arise the matter in the future.”
However, Plant Based Treaty say there is no time to lose and launched a petition calling on Glasgow to endorse the Plant Based Treaty. The petition which has attracted more than 14,000 signatures also calls on Lord Provost of Glasgow, Philip Braat to send a letter to the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, urging the Scottish and UK governments to support the global initiative for a Plant Based Treaty.
Global campaign coordinator Anita Krajnc said, “The new Systems Change Lab report has just issued a stark warning that emissions from agriculture, deforestation and land use are moving in the wrong direction and we urge Glasgow City to show climate action leadership by endorsing the Plant Based Treaty and help put plant-based solutions on the agenda at COP26.”
Earlier this week Moby issued a video statement urging world leaders to negotiate a Plant Based Treaty at COP26 to address the methane emergency.
ENDS
ABOUT THE PLANT BASED TREATY
The Plant Based Treaty initiative is a grassroots campaign designed to put food systems at the forefront of combating the climate crisis. Modelled on the popular Fossil Fuel Treaty, the Plant Based Treaty aims to halt the widespread degradation of critical ecosystems caused by animal agriculture and to promote a shift to healthier, sustainable, plant-based diets.
The Treaty urges leaders to negotiate a global agreement around the following three principles:
- RELINQUISH: No land use change, ecosystem degradation or deforestation for the purposes of animal agriculture
- REDIRECT: An active transition away from animal-based agricultural systems to plant-based food systems
- RESTORE: Restore key ecosystems and reforest the Earth
Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries entered into a pact to limit global warming to below 2°C – and preferably 1.5°C – above pre-industrial levels. While reducing the use of fossil fuels is an important way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, alone it is not enough to meet this legally binding target. The Plant Based Treaty draws attention to the effects of meat, dairy and egg farming, which are driving carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide emissions, three major greenhouse gases. Experts say methane reductions are probably the only way of avoiding temperature rises above 1.5°C, and the biggest opportunity to slow warming between now and 2040.
Scientists, individuals, groups, businesses, and cities are endorsing this call to action to put pressure on national governments to negotiate an international Plant Based Treaty. Leveraging this grassroots support, the campaign will work towards 10 million individuals, 10,000 organisations, 10,000 businesses and 50 cities to endorse the treaty by 2023, ahead of the Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement (GST). Individuals, organisations, businesses and cities can endorse the Treaty by visiting https://plantbasedtreaty.org.
Website https://plantbasedtreaty.org/
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