2021 Press Releases

 

Boynton Beach is World’s First City to endorse Plant Based Treaty

Media Contact(s): [email protected]

Canada: Anita Krajnc +1 (416) 825-6080
United Kingdom: Nicola Harris +(44) 7597 514 343

September 9, 2021
10 days after the Plant Based Treaty launched on August 31, 2021 the City of Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida became the world’s first city to endorse the treaty.

Leaders worldwide have endorsed the treaty. In the U.S., these include New York State Sen. Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn), Connecticut State Rep. David Michel (D-Stamford), more than 100 businesses and 250 NGOs.

Rebecca Harvey, City of Boynton Beach’s first Sustainability Coordinator said: “The City of Boynton Beach has committed to reducing community-wide greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2035 and achieving net zero by 2050. Promoting plant-based diets is an important way to help meet this goal and help improve the health and sustainability of our city.”

Anita Krajnc, Global Campaign Coordinator for the Plant Based Treaty said:  “The City of Boynton Beach recognizes the critical role of plant-based diets as a climate action everyone can take and we hope to see more cities join the call to action for national governments to negotiate a global Plant Based Treaty.” The Plant Based 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 and celebrities have also endorsed the Plant Based Treaty. 
Danny Harvey, IPCC Lead Author on the 4th and 5th Assessment Reports, Working Group III, said: “The Plant Based Treaty addresses the single largest sources of GHG emissions in a two-pronged manner that parallels exactly what needs to be done with regard to fossil fuel emissions: freezing further development, and unwinding existing intensive industrial systems that produce cheap meat and dairy at the expense of enormous animal suffering.” International recording artist Moby said, “As the production of meat and dairy is a leading cause of the climate emergency, it’s clear that we cannot solve the climate crisis without going plant based. Change is imperative, and I endorse the Plant Based Treaty, for the animals, the planet and human health.”

Addendum

September 9, 2021: The city of Rosario, Argentina’s third largest city, home to over 1 million people has endorsed the Plant Based Treaty during the Conference of Youth organized by Fridays for Future, along with the University of Rosario. 

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. We are urging scientists, individuals, groups, businesses, and cities to endorse this call to action and put pressure on national governments to negotiate an international Plant Based Treaty.

Photos and video from worldwide launch on August 31: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xCAUJLvvMQqh5XeB23E3_8_InO_68HDD

For more information visit https://plantbasedtreaty.org/ 

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