Climate on Your Plate - Why Meat Matters This World Environmental Education Day

FOUR PAWS reminds us that protecting animals and the environment starts with what’s on our plate.

Cape Town, 23 January 2026 – As the world prepares to mark World Environmental Education Day on 26 January 2026, FOUR PAWS is spotlighting a critical issue: the link between meat, dairy and egg consumption, climate change and animal welfare. Emphasising urgent climate action through education empowers youth to make informed, sustainable choices that protect animals, people and the planet.

Why meat matters for climate and animal welfare:

• FOUR PAWS’ Meat Exhaustion Day report shows South Africans exceed the recommended yearly meat intake by May, highlighting the need to reduce consumption by up to 65% for planetary health.
• Globally, animal agriculture accounts for one-sixth of greenhouse gas emissions, with cows and sheep responsible for two-thirds of these emissions.
• Factory farming drives suffering for billions of animals annually and contributes to antimicrobial resistance, a growing health crisis.

FOUR PAWS asks Government to:

• End factory farming and promoting humane systems.
• Equip schools and communities with resources linking diet choices to climate and welfare impacts.
• Implement policies that reduce meat, dairy and egg production and support plant-based alternatives.
• Collaborate with institutions offering plant-based options and sustainable farming.

Community call to action

South Africa’s biodiversity and ecosystems are under pressure from climate change and livestock-driven land degradation. FOUR PAWS urges:

• Plant-based days in schools and workplaces.
• Curriculum integration of climate and animal welfare education.
• Community pledges to reduce meat, dairy and egg intake and choose high-welfare products.
• Policy advocacy for sustainable food systems.

Fiona Miles, Director of FOUR PAWS South Africa, says: “Education is the cornerstone of change. When youth understand how eating meat, dairy and eggs affects animals, the planet and their own health, they gain the power to shape a humane and sustainable future.”

For more information, please visit our website at www.four-paws.org.za