Ocean with David Attenborough is directed by Toby Nowlan, Keith Scholey, and Colin Butfield, and produced by Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios in association with All3Media International, National Geographic, and Minderoo Pictures.

Silverback Films described the new documentary as Attenborough’s “greatest message of hope” yet, a feature-length film about the importance of healthy oceans for a healthy planet. Altitude Films published a trailer for Ocean with David Attenborough earlier this month.

“After living for nearly 100 years on this planet, I now understand the most important place on earth is not on land, but at sea,” said Attenborough in the trailer. “Today, it is in such poor health I would find it hard not to lose hope, were it not for the most remarkable discovery of all: the ocean can recover faster than we had ever imagined. It can bounce back to life.”

The new film comes to cinemas on May 8, 2025. In addition to launching on Attenborough’s 99th birthday, the film’s release is timed ahead of World Ocean Day and the United Nations Ocean Conference in June. This year also marks the halfway point of the United Nations’ “Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development” (2021 – 2030).

Read more: New Documentary Follows ‘Incredible’ 87-Year Old Vegan Ultrarunner Paul Youd

‘If we save the sea, we save our world’

On April 24, NGO Dynamic Planet and National Geographic Society’s Pristine Seas programme launched the Revive Our Ocean initiative. It aims to assist local communities in their efforts to establish marine protected areas in coastal waters.

Life on earth is reliant on healthy seas, but without immediate intervention, the world’s oceans will be unrecognizable within just 20 years. More than 190,000 marine protected areas would need to be established in the next five years to meet the agreed-upon “30-by-30” target of protecting 30 percent of oceans, which some experts say may not be enough.

“This is the story of our ocean, and how we must write its next chapter together,” said Attenborough in the trailer. “For if we save the sea, we save our world. After a lifetime of filming our planet, I’m sure that nothing is more important.”

This article was updated on April 28, 2025, to remove mention that Revive Our Ocean is backed by David Attenborough. David Attenborough is not directly involved with Revive Our Ocean.
Read more: Is David Attenborough Vegan? Here’s What We Know

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

The authors reviewed existing studies and found that “the environmental impact of owned dogs is far greater, more insidious, and more concerning than is generally recognised.”

Pacific Conservation Biology published “Bad Dog? The environmental effects of owned dogs” on Wednesday. Philip W. Bateman, an associate professor at Curtin University’s School of Molecular & Life Sciences, and Lauren N. Gilson, an academic researcher, ecologist, and conservationist, also of Curtin University, Australia, authored the research.

According to the research article, domesticated dogs kill and disturb “multiple species” directly, but their “mere presence” – even while leashed – also disturbs birds and mammals. Furthermore, their scent and excreta continue to disturb wildlife after the dog has moved on.

This excreta can also transfer zoonoses to wildlife, pollute waterways, and negatively impact plant growth. Dogs that physically enter rivers and streams may also pollute waterways directly due to the chemicals found in wash-off flea and parasite treatments.

Finally, the sheer number of “owned” dogs worldwide – approximately 900 million animals – contributes to the pet food industry’s extensive resource consumption and carbon emissions. The authors highlight the need for increased education around responsible owner behavior.

Read more: Plant-Based Diets For Dogs And Cats – What Does The Research Say?

The pet food industry, meat, and cultivated protein

As more people become aware of the significant negative impact the meat industry has on the environment, the pet food sector has also come under increased scrutiny. Producing animal-based food for dogs and cats makes up 30 percent of the meat industry’s environmental impact and releases millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

“The dog food industry should be included in any nation’s sustainability action due to its considerable environmental footprint,” write Bateman and Gilson in their research.

However, alternatives to traditional, animal-based pet food are increasingly competitive and available. The vegan pet food market could nearly double in value over the next decade, while cultivated pet food gained EU approval earlier this month. In February, a “world first” dog food featuring both plant-based ingredients and cultivated meat went on sale in the UK.

Read more: Is 2025 The Year Of Ethical Dog Food?

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

While the Met Office has not yet issued any weather warnings, it predicts that temperatures in Greater London could reach 24C on Friday, April 11. This would make it the hottest day of the year after last Friday’s 23C.

London Fire Brigade has urged people to “act responsibly” and follow safety advice, as the UK’s high temperatures and unseasonably dry conditions make wildfires far more likely. People should be particularly vigilant around BBQ safety, discarded cigarettes, and litter.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service issued an “extreme wildfire warning” for Thursday, April 10. The service previously published a warning at the start of April and another alert in mid-March. In all three cases, the Scottish fire service noted that human behavior is the cause of many wildfires and that responsible behavior is crucial in their prevention and mitigation.

An amber wildfire warning is currently in place for Northern Ireland, which has also experienced unseasonable conditions and unpredictable fires. Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has been fighting a significant blaze in the Sandbank Road area of Hilltown since Sunday, which Sky News reported may have been caused deliberately.

Read more: Animal Ag, Not Fossil Fuels, Is The Leading Cause Of Climate Change, Says New Study

The UK’s 2025 wildfires so far

Scotland has had four wildfires in the last week, including a large blaze near East Ayrshire that required campers and other visitors to leave the area. In England, Dorset’s Moors Valley Country Park has had to close after several wildfires broke out on Wednesday.

There have been several moorland fires in Devon and Cornwall this week, preceded by a huge fire on Rosenannon Downs in March that Cornwall Wildlife Trust described at the time as an “attack on nature.” The total number of Cornish wildfires increased by 80 percent last year.

Overall, there have been 286 UK wildfires reported so far in 2025. That’s 100 more fires than were recorded during the same period of 2022, which saw record-breaking temperatures and an unprecedented number of wildfires nationally and throughout parts of Europe.

‘Wildfires are not a seasonal threat’

UK fire chiefs said at the time that the worsening climate crisis has created a “clear and present risk” of future fires. Rising temperatures, droughts, and extreme weather events linked to the changing climate have created optimal conditions for wildfires to get out of control.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) made several recommendations to the government about wildfires, resilience, and the future of the UK fire services last year. Earlier this month, the NFCC highlighted “rising pressures” on fire services and called for action once again.

“There is no getting away from the fact that climate change is driving increases in extreme weather events, such as wildfires,” said NFCC chair Phil Garrigan. “Wildfires are not a seasonal threat – they are becoming a persistent and growing risk to life, property, and the environment. We must adapt and invest now to ensure our services are equipped to meet this challenge.”

Read more: London At ‘Clear Risk’ Of Wildfires Caused By The Climate Crisis

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

The move comes as part of its endorsement of the Plant Based Treaty. The treaty has also been signed by the capital city Amsterdam, alongside 35 others across the world. Bans on meat and fossil fuels advertising have been introduced elsewhere in the country in Haarlem and Utrecht.

Bart Salemans, City Council Member and Party for the Animals Nijmegen representative, said: “Last year, we put the Plant Based Treaty on the city’s radar. We urged the municipal board to sign it, and now it has happened. By signing the Plant Based Treaty, Nijmegen is taking a great step toward a more animal-friendly and healthier future for all its residents.”

Read more: Denmark Agrees Deal On Agriculture Emissions Tax

A move towards a more plant-based future

The move from Nijmegen is also being honored in culinary form: the Nimma Sandwich is to be introduced by the city, using vegan ingredients sourced by local farmers and residents. The new sandwich is a unique restaurant and academic collaboration, with the Michelin-starred De Nieuwe Winkel working with Radboud University and its teaching hospital Radboudumc to create the recipe. 

Lea Goodett, Plant Based Treaty Netherlands campaigner, welcomed the news. “The way we produce, distribute, process, and consume food has a significant impact on our health, the health of the planet, and animals,” she said. “We applaud Nijmegen for showing climate action leadership by endorsing the Plant Based Treaty, and we are excited to try their Nimma sandwich, which will help promote healthy plant-based food and support local farmers and producers.”

Los Angeles, Edinburgh, Norwich, Belfast, and several Canadian cities, amidst a total of 37 cities and regions around the world have declared themselves part of the Treaty. It also has celebrity endorsers, including Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix, Leona Lewis, and Game of Thrones star Jerome Flynn.
Read more: Students At Bristol and Imperial College London Vote For 100% Plant-Based Catering

This article was written by Adam Protz on the PBN Website.

The food sector – and the animal agriculture sector in particular – is a significant and neglected contributor to rapid climate change. Latest estimates indicate that the production of animal-based foods is responsible for at least 20 percent of anthropogenic GHG emissions (though some studies put this figure much higher). This is expected to increase as animal product consumption increases globally.

The environmental impact of pet food

In wealthy nations like the US, dogs and cats consume at least 20 percent of all farmed land animals. Given its relatively high consumption of animal-based ingredients, the pet food sector is associated with substantial environmental impacts. This poses a significant challenge for environmental sustainability. But it also represents a largely untapped opportunity to mitigate the “pawprints” of our dogs and cats.

In this article, we summarise the findings of our recent study, one of the first comprehensive studies exploring the environmental impacts of pet food (Nicholles and Knight, 2025). We examine the impacts of meat-based pet food, and the benefits of a transition to more sustainable non-animal alternatives. We conclude that the most effective measure we can currently take to mitigate the environmental impacts of companion animal diets is to transition dogs and cats to nutritionally sound vegan pet foods. 

It is now clear that the importance of dietary change to combat the climate crisis is not limited to humans: we must also address what we feed to our companion animals.

Companion animal diets 

The global companion animal population is vast. Over 50 percent of households worldwide have a dog or a cat – the two species which make up 95 percent of pet food sales. Global dog and cat populations have recently been estimated as reaching 1 billion animals. Domestic dogs have a collective biomass of about 20 million tonnes, roughly equal to the combined biomass of all remaining wild terrestrial mammals. Cats have a total biomass of two million tonnes. Such large numbers of animals require a huge quantity of food resources.

What’s more, we can expect these numbers to increase significantly. As countries develop, people tend to have fewer children, and have more disposable income to spend on companion animals. We can see this in pet food sales trends: the global pet food ingredients market is expected to increase from USD $32.2 billion in 2022 to $44.5 billion in 2027.

From the food they eat, to the feces they produce, to accessories and services designed for them, there are a range of environmental impacts associated with caring for a dog or cat. However, the vast majority of these impacts come from pet food, and specifically the type of pet food (i.e. the ingredients) being fed. 

In other words, when it comes to the environmental impact of pets, what matters most is: what are we feeding them? 

What is the climate cost of meat-based pet food? 

Most pet food consumed globally is meat-based, and this comes with significant environmental impacts. Just over half – 53.1 percent –  of all ingredients in pet food are animal-based. These include human grade products such as meat, fish, dairy, and egg products, and non human-consumable products (also known as animal byproducts), predominantly meat and bone meal. Globally, 74.9 percent of animal-based ingredients are animal byproducts (largely used because they are cheap), whereas this number falls to 50.8 percent in the US, where wealthier consumers are more able to afford more premium diets using higher levels of human grade ingredients. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, such a reliance on animal-derived ingredients leads to significant environmental impacts. In the US, 25-30 percent of the environmental impacts of livestock production within the US have been attributed to companion animal diets. 

While estimates on the impacts of meat-based pet food vary, all studies on this subject agree these cannot be ignored. One found that, in Japan, the environmental impacts of a medium dog’s diet were greater than that of the average Japanese person’s diet. For a large dog, they were greater than the average Japanese person’s entire environmental footprint. 

This is undoubtedly a challenge for environmental sustainability. But it’s also an opportunity. Because the environmental impact of pet food is currently so high, there are significant opportunities to mitigate these impacts. In countries with high rates of companion animals, like the US, the benefits achieved by transitioning dogs away from meat-based diets is equivalent to one quarter to one third of the environmental benefits achievable through human dietary change. 

Read more: Is 2025 The Year Of Ethical Dog Food?

What about animal byproducts?

Until recently, the environmental impact of pet food was dismissed as negligible. Pet food relies heavily on animal byproducts, and it was generally assumed that these ingredients would be wasted if not used in pet food.

Claims like this have been repeatedly criticized. They wrongly assume that animal byproducts would be wasted in landfill if not used in pet food. The argument also assumes – crucially – that animals must be farmed in the first place.

In fact, only 25 percent of animal byproducts produced in high-income countries like the US are used in pet food, and the sector competes with various others for these ingredients. Animal byproducts are used in pet food not because they would otherwise be wasted, but instead because they are cheaper than human grade cuts of meat. The sale of animal byproducts helps prop up slaughtering industry profits. 11.4 percent of the gross income from beef is from byproducts, and 7.5 percent for pork. 

Moreover, as we showed in 2023, animal byproducts are less efficient than human grade meat. This is because animal byproducts only make up a minority of the average animal carcass used for pet food (39.2 percent for dogs, and 31.3 percent for cats). Compared to using human grade meat, using animal byproducts in pet food requires 1.4 times more animal carcasses for dog food, and 1.9 times more for cat food. As a result, more livestock animals are required (and with them, greater environmental impacts incurred) to feed dogs and cats animal byproducts.

Given this, it is more reasonable to view these animal ingredients as coproducts rather than byproducts. In doing so, they are acknowledged as valuable commodities in and of themselves, rather than externalised byproducts that can be excluded from environmental impact calculations. 

In summary, the idea that we can dismiss the environmental impacts of pet food because they use animal byproducts that would otherwise be wasted, is entirely false. It incorrectly assumes that animal byproducts would be wasted if not used in pet food, and it fails to recognise that these actually incur greater environmental impacts, compared to human grade meat. 

In reality, the best way to reduce the environmental impacts of our companion animals’ diets is to transition them away from diets high in animal products, towards nutritionally sound vegan ones, or those based on cultivated meat once they become more widely available. 

Read more: Plant-Based Dog Food Brand Wins Dragons’ Den Backing

Environmental benefits of vegan pet food

Fortunately, a range of alternative pet food protein sources derived from plants, fungi, cultivated meat and microorganisms are emerging, and offer huge potential to reduce the environmental impact of pet food. Various plant-based pet food companies are already widely commercially available in the UK and other countries (a non-exhaustive list is available at www.sustainablepetfood.info). 

If we transitioned all dogs and cats onto nutritionally sound vegan diets, the benefits for environmental sustainability would be game changing. A global transition for pet dogs alone would save 1.5 times the greenhouse gases produced by the UK, as well as vast amounts of land and freshwater. The food energy savings would be sufficient to feed 450 million people – more than the entire EU population. At least six billion land animals would also be spared from slaughter annually, and another billion if pet cats were also transitioned. 

There are also some emerging pet food alternatives that may offer even greater environmental benefits. In February 2025, Meatly, a UK-based biotech company that makes cultivated chicken-based pet food, partnered with vegan pet food company The Pack to launch the world’s first cultivated meat pet food product for retail sales. And Calysta, a company producing animal-free pet food via precision fermentation, offers a product already at commercial scale with environmental impacts reportedly a fraction of those from plant-based ingredients, let alone animal-based ones. The first nutritionally complete pet food using their protein product was launched by Marsapet in February. 

What needs to change

The best thing we can do to reduce our companion animals’ environmental “pawprints” is to transition them to nutritionally sound vegan diets. Dogs and cats fed these diets seem to enjoy them as much as meat-based diets, and modern vegan pet foods are generally of equivalent, if not superior, quality and nutritional soundness to meat-based pet foods. Moreover, as we summarised recently in Plant Based News, there is a strong and growing body of evidence demonstrating that dogs and cats fed nutritionally sound vegan diets experience health outcomes as good as or better than those fed meat-based diets. Given these significant environmental and health benefits, there is no longer any sound reason not to support a companion animal dietary transition. 

Other mitigation strategies include choosing to care for small rather than large animals where possible, adopting instead of buying companion animals, and preventing overfeeding (which is currently common). Importantly, however, gains from reducing overconsumption will quickly be outpaced by rising companion animal populations globally. Hence, these are supplementary strategies that should be pursued in tandem with, rather than in place of, a wider structural transition to nutritionally sound vegan diets. 

Additionally, given the very significant environmental impacts associated with companion animal diets, public awareness on this topic is shockingly low. Along with governments and the mass media, those with large platforms in pet care or adjacent communities should communicate the environmental benefits of a transition towards vegan pet food to their audiences. For those resistant to the idea at first, a gradual transition (say, feeding 50 percent vegan and 50 percent meat-based pet food) would still significantly reduce an animal’s dietary “pawprint.” 

Addressing the impact of companion animal diets on climate change is an environmental imperative. We now have very good evidence demonstrating health and environmental benefits associated with modern, nutritionally sound vegan diets for dogs and cats. In light of this evidence, there is no good scientific reason not to support companion animal dietary change. Given the very significant potential to mitigate climate change and environmental breakdown, support from guardians, government, and industry is clearly warranted. 

Read more: Lewis Hamilton Says Bulldog Roscoe Is A ‘Different Dog’ Since Going Plant-Based

This article was written by Billy Nicholles on the PBN Website.

The nonprofit humanitarian organization has published a video titled “The Importance of Serving Plant-Based Foods During Disasters.” American Red Cross is working with partners such as Plant Based Treaty to ensure plant-based options are widely available.

“A lot of people are eating plant-based for whatever reason,” said Samantha Lau, a campaigner for Plant Based Treaty, in the video. “Could be dietary reasons, could be allergy, it could be lactose intolerance, religious reasons – for whatever reason that people choose to eat plant-based, we just want to make sure that they have access to it.”

Nigel Holderby, the assistant director of external relations at American Red Cross, said that she can find it “very difficult” to find options as a plant-based person with food allergies. 

“Having that as part of what we’re building into the core of our food service means that we’re serving more people and we’re meeting them where they are,” explained Holderby. “We’re part of a network, we’re part of this response community. So just being able to provide our local restaurants here with the access to people to provide things that they need, I think is another avenue for the Red Cross to be part of the community response.”

Lau noted that in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires, some of the people sheltering at Pasadena’s convention center were initially unable to access plant-based options. However, Plant Based Treaty stepped in and made plant-based food available to those who needed it.

Read more: Tabitha Brown Partners With Vegan Food Truck To Feed Those Affected By LA Wildfires

Extreme weather in Los Angeles

American Red Cross is continuing to support the victims of Los Angeles’s enormous wildfires, which displaced thousands of Californians across the region. The Palisades and Eaton fires alone burned down around 40,000 acres of land and over 15,000 buildings.

On Tuesday of this week, fire authorities issued further evacuation warnings ahead of expected heavy rain and mudslides in the area, including in the Palisades neighborhood.

According to a report by UCLA researchers, the scale and severity of California’s wildfires is linked to the climate crisis. A separate study – published in the Journal of Climate earlier this month – suggests that California’s increasingly heavy rain and winds are also in keeping with broader predictions about the climate crisis and frequent, extreme weather events.

“One of the biggest changes that we’re seeing across the country is that people want to help,” said Holderby. “We’ve seen an outpouring of local volunteers that raised their hands, they want to be part of the response, they want to help their neighbors, and I think there’s a healing in engaging our local community as part of the response and the recovery that’s coming.”

Read more: New Report On Why Healthcare Settings Should Go Plant-Based By Default

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

Faunalytics and The Good Growth Co surveyed 381 university-educated adults aged between 18 and 26 from the US, China, Thailand, and Indonesia. Researchers asked participants about motivators for making lifestyle changes, barriers to improving animal and environmental protections in their countries, solutions to these barriers, and motivators for considering careers in environmental or animal protection.

The study found that 93 percent of respondents are concerned about the environment and animals. In total, 84 percent said they had changed their behavior as a result of this concern, with a higher proportion of Thai and Indonesian respondents having done so than American or Chinese.

Read more: Men Eat More Meat Than Women In More Gender-Equal Countries, Study Finds

But the study results show that concerned young people don’t know how to take effective action. Most lifestyle changes reported by respondents concerned individual mitigation efforts such as recycling, avoiding single-use plastics, and buying more environmentally friendly products. Across all countries, only a minority of respondents mentioned dietary change or farmed animals as specific areas of action or concern. This is despite adopting a plant-based diet being one of the most effective ways people can reduce their environmental impact and help animals at the same time.

Barriers to action

It may seem like people opposed to veganism or taking climate action are ideologically opposed to doing so, but among Gen Z that’s not the case. According to the study, the reasons respondents gave for not taking more action on environmental and animal issues were emotional and practical rather than ideological.

Among most frequently cited practical barriers were personal cost, inconvenience, and time constraints. Emotional barriers were mainly the feeling that action is pointless, being unmotivated, and feeling “drained.” The study authors highlight that this indicates fundamental shifts in values and beliefs may not therefore be necessary for change. Rather, practical solutions and understanding emotional barriers could be more effective to help people take action.

Read more: Americans Will Choose Falafel Burgers Over More Realistic Meat Alternatives, Study Finds

Respondents also identified a lack of public understanding of the issues as a major barrier. Correspondingly, they believe better public awareness and education campaigns as being a key solution to solve environmental and animal problems.

Regional differences

Respondents from Asian countries were much more likely than US respondents to say they felt they and their societies were taking adequate action to protect animals and the environment. More than a third felt their country was doing enough, and more than 80 percent felt they were personally doing enough.

In the US, less than half felt they were taking enough individual action, and only 14 percent believed the US as a whole was doing enough. US respondents were more likely than Asian respondents to blame corporate “villains” for harms to animals and the environment, such as “big oil companies” and “mega-farms.” Asian respondents, by contrast, felt individuals being ignorant or selfish was a bigger problem.

What advocates can do

The study makes several recommendations for people working in environmental and animal advocacy. One is to consider the emotional and practical ways to help young people engage more with the issues and solutions. Another is to work on connecting the plight of farmed animals with people’s existing concerns and motivations. For example, if people are more worried about environmental protection, highlighting the environmental impact of animal agriculture could be more motivating than animal welfare.

“Thankfully, our data found that most Gen Z-ers don’t have ideological barriers to protecting animals or the climate,” Jack Stennett, lead researcher, said in a statement. “To me, this indicates that advocates need to work hard on dismantling other barriers to activism, like removing a sense of futility and providing stronger financial and career incentives.”

Read more: Digital ‘Nudging’ Can Motivate Online Shoppers To Buy Plant-Based Foods, Says Study

This article was written by Claire Hamlett on the PBN Website.

The advisory committee, made up of climate experts, today published its seventh Carbon Budget containing official advice to the government. The report, which is released every five years, looks at how the UK can stay within climate limits and achieve net zero by 2050.

The report sets out what the committee says is a cost-effective and achievable solution to reducing emissions. People will need to change their behavior in a number of ways, according to the report, with meat reduction playing a key part in climate goals. Cutting down meat consumption by 260g per week is equivalent to around two doner kebabs or two fry ups a day in total. The CCC wants to see a 25 percent reduction in general meat consumption by 2040 (compared to 2019) going up to 35 percent by 2050. Red meat consumption specifically would need to fall by 40 percent by 2050.

As reported by the Guardian, Emily Nurse, head of net zero at the Climate Change Committee, said that the committee is “absolutely not saying everyone needs to be vegan” but that they “do expect to see a shift in dietary habits.”

Other recommendations include moving away from gas boilers, greater use of public transport and cycling, as well as better home insulation. 

Read more: Jim Murray Calls On Nando’s To Protect UK Rivers

Animal agriculture’s impact on the planet

Animal farming is devastating for the planet. It’s a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions, notably methane, which is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period in the atmosphere. Animal agriculture, mostly ruminant animals like cows, produce around a third of human-caused methane emissions.

Animal agriculture is also the leading driver of deforestation, biodiversity loss, and species extinction. Vast swathes of land are cleared to grow feed and to house the animals themselves. This removes vital carbon sinks and releases carbon back into the atmosphere. 

Research has shown that adopting a fully plant-based diet is the single biggest way individuals can reduce their impact on the environment. A major study published in 2023 found that going vegan leads to 75 percent less climate heating emissions, water pollution, and land use. Fully plant-based diets also cut the destruction of wildlife by 66 percent and water use by 54 percent. There is growing consensus that traditional meat consumption at its current level is not compatible with net zero targets.

Read more: Students At Bristol and Imperial College London Vote For 100% Plant-Based Catering

Should the UK go further?

While some environmental experts have welcomed the recommendations by the CCC, some believe the advice does not go far enough in tackling meat-related emissions. 

“The more meat and dairy we cut, the greater the benefits are, and these recommendations can and should go further,” The Vegan Society said in a statement responding to the new report. “Plant-based proteins such as pulses and legumes present a huge opportunity as a healthier and more sustainable alternative to animal products. Dietary change is a win-win solution that improves people’s health and offers the opportunity for billions of pounds of savings to the NHS, as well as cutting emissions and protecting nature. 

Animal advocacy group Viva!, which campaigns against animal farming for ethical and environmental reasons, agrees. “We are always happy to see recommendations for the reduction in animal products,” environmental campaigner Rachel Higgins told Plant Based News. “However, we are disheartened to see that the CCC hasn’t increased their reduction recommendations from previous years. The previous Carbon Budget recommended a 35 percent reduction in meat consumption by 2050, and this target remains unchanged. However, we do welcome the steeper red meat reduction target of 40 percent by 2050.”

Both Viva! and The Vegan Society have urged the government to respond appropriately to the CCC’s recommendations and take concrete action to reduce the country’s meat intake. 

“As it prepares to develop a new food strategy, this government has the opportunity to implement practical policies which encourage dietary change, such as prioritizing plant-based default options in public sector menus and procurement, supporting famers who are growing sustainable and healthy plant proteins, and promoting the benefits of plant-based foods in public health campaigns,” The Vegan Society said. 

Read more: UK Facing Broccoli Shortage Due To Changing Climate

This article was written by Polly Foreman on the PBN Website.

Murray recently appeared in a video published on YouTube by the charity River Action UK. The short clip shows Murray wearing a full suit and tie while standing in the middle of a river, where the conservationist addresses Nando’s CEO Mark Standish.

“Mark, your chicken is killing our rivers,” says Murray. “The industrial chicken farmers you buy your supplies from for your restaurants has [sic] literally polluted the River Wye to death.”

Nando’s responds

In a statement to Plant Based News, Nando’s denied polluting the River Wye. It also said that it was open to meeting with River Action to discuss its water policy.

“We care passionately about the environment and having a positive impact,” a spokesperson said. “We have a water policy in place for all our chicken suppliers. We will meet with River Action and we are happy to discuss with them how this might be further improved. We are not polluting the River Wye, and our supplier has assured us that no manure is spread, stored or otherwise disposed of on any of the chicken farms we source from. We will be conducting an independent third-party audit to provide further assurances.”

Murray told BBC Radio Gloucestershire that he had seen proof that Nando’s suppliers are polluting the River Wye, causing algae blooms and suffocating aquatic life there. According to the Environment Agency, agriculture and rural land management are responsible for about 40 percent of water pollution in the UK.

An open letter signed by Murray and other high-profile celebrities, artists, environmentalists, and campaign groups calls on Nando’s to “design and implement a sector-leading commitment to protecting Britain’s rivers.”

Signatories include Chris Packham, George Monbiot, Joanna Lumley, and many others, who ask for proof from Nando’s that it is not contributing to Wye pollution.

Read more: Factory Farms Cost UK Taxpayers Over 1.2 Billion Pounds Per Year, Says New Report

River Wye pollution

Tens of millions of chickens are factory-farmed along the banks of the River Wye. This causes extensive pollution and has brought one of the UK’s longest and most famous waterways to the brink of ecological collapse, as reported by River Action.

One of Nando’s key chicken suppliers, Avara Foods, is named in an ongoing lawsuit over alleged Wye pollution. As reported by the BBC, an Avara spokesperson previously said: “No manure is stored, spread or otherwise disposed on poultry farms that supply us, making accusations of ‘pollution’ hard to justify without evidence.”

In the BBC Gloucestershire interview, Murray said that Nando’s has an opportunity to “re-shape the whole supply chain” if it chooses to swap Avara Foods for another supplier.

“They’re an obvious restaurant chain to go for because we also believe that they might turn around and actually start becoming part of the solution rather than the problem,” he said.

Read more: Scientists Observe Factory Farm Pollution From Space

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

A team of researchers from the University of Virginia used satellite data to measure ammonia levels across North Carolina. Elevated ammonia levels in the atmosphere correlated with factory farm locations, particularly across the Eastern part of the state.

The new research further vindicates the health and safety concerns of people living near factory farms and other intensive agriculture operations. It also confirms that the pollution from industrial pig farming, in particular, disproportionately affects communities of color.

From 2016 to 2021, the researchers found that ammonia levels were 49 percent higher for Indigenous communities, 35 percent higher for Hispanic and Latinx communities, and 27 percent higher for Black communities compared to non-Hispanic white communities.

Ammonia is an extremely corrosive pollutant produced by intensive pig farms that harms human and environmental health. North Carolina’s thousands of factory farms make billions of gallons of waste each year, much of which forms toxic, ammonia-emitting lagoons.

The team also found that weather exacerbates ammonia’s negative impact on BIPOC North Carolinians. They reported that hot days made inequalities 31 percent more pronounced for Black communities, while windier days made inequalities 64 percent higher for Indigenous communities.

The research was published in Environmental Science & Technology at the end of January.

Read more: Factory Farms Cost UK Taxpayers Over 1.2 Billion Pounds Per Year, Says New Report

North Carolina’s pig problem

North Carolina is home to approximately 2,000 intensive pig farms that raise almost around 10 million pigs (that’s more than the human population)

A significant proportion of the state’s pigs are factory-farmed in the counties of Duplin, Samson, and Robeson, where Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people make up nearly 60 percent of the population. In a letter from 2017, the EPA described a “linear relationship between race/ethnicity” and the density of factory-farmed hogs.

The negative impact of intensive pig farming on North Carolina residents has been well-documented, including investigations, lawsuits, and regular media coverage. However, factory farming continues to dominate US meat production, despite spiraling health issues, environmental damage, and increased acknowledgment of environmental racism.

Sally Pusede, lead author of the new study and professor at the University of Virginia’s Department of Environmental Sciences, told Vox that scientific data is essential in backing up people’s first-hand experiences, particularly of environmental racism.

“There are very few measurements of air pollution associated with industrialized agriculture from the ground,” said Pusede. “Without data to show that and support that, those claims can be contested.”

Read more: Berkeley Becomes The First US City To Ban Factory Farming

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

A wet autumn and mild winter means that Britain’s surviving broccoli plants are coming up early. This could lead to national shortages of broccoli, cauliflower, and other brassicas around spring. Experts have linked the UK’s significant rainfall to the climate crisis.

Hannah Croft, an agronomist at the organic vegetable box company Riverford, told the Guardian that there could be “tight periods for broccoli supply” after the UK’s particularly wet autumn and mild winter caused early crop losses last year followed and early growth now.

If there is a spring shortage, Croft said that consumers can replace broccoli and cauliflower with leafy greens and other cabbages. “Spring greens, protected under nets, are on track for harvest from January through April, and will take over as curly kales finish up,” she added.

Read more: Portugal’s ‘Groundbreaking’ Climate Plan Includes Plant-Based Protein Strategy

The climate crisis and food shortages

A spring brassica shortage will exacerbate the UK’s annual “hungry gap” of April to June, a difficult time for farmers when few crops are ready for harvest. During the hungry gap, sellers typically supplement British vegetables with imports from mainland Europe.

However, extreme weather has also affected growers across Europe, including in Valencia, Spain, which experienced torrential rain and floods. According to Euronews, Spain supplies eight percent of the UK’s vegetable imports and 25 percent of its fruit imports.

The UK experienced the wettest 18 months since records began during the 2023 to 2024 growing year, resulting in failed crops, shortages, significant price increases, and the second-worst harvest since 1983. The climate crisis made this record-breaking rainfall four times more likely and 20 percent heavier, and experts warned that 2025 could be the same.

The climate crisis makes heavy rain and storms in the UK 10 times more likely. Meanwhile, last summer was the hottest since records began, and 2024 was the first year to pass the 1.5C global warming limit. Unless the climate crisis is addressed, extreme weather events will increase in severity and frequency, and the global food system will continue to deteriorate.

Read more: Hundreds Of Climate Scientists Predict Global Heating Of At Least 2.5C

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

More than 130 organizations – representing farmers, consumers, health, animal welfare, and environmental interests – wrote a letter to Christophe Hansen, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food. Signatories include Greenpeace, Compassion in World Farming, the Rainforest Action Network, Caring Farmers, World Animal Protection, and many more.

The listed organizations urge the commissioner to add a plant-based action plan to the upcoming Vision for the Future of Agriculture and Food blueprint, which is due next month. They call on him to strengthen plant-based agri-food chains “from farmers to consumers.”

BEUC (the European Consumer Organization) published the letter and a joint press release earlier this week. The BEUC noted that a more sustainable food system requires transformation at both the supply and demand end, including appropriate funding.

“An EU Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods will help to deliver on EU climate and environmental targets, improve health, profitability, resilience, and overall policy coherence while also saving costs and strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy,” says the letter. “Current policies and efforts are not sufficient to bring about the much-needed shift to a more sustainable and efficient food system at the production, and processing level.”

Read more: Academics Call Out FAO For Leaving Meat Reduction From Food Emissions Plan

Europe is ‘listening to the science’ on plant-based foods

ProVeg International, one of the letter’s signatories, urged Hansen to commit to a plant-based action plan back in November. In response, Hansen claimed that meat remains “part of a balanced diet,” and noted that top-down approaches to food remain “tricky.”

In September, a report funded by the European Commission itself called for greater reliance on plant-based proteins in the food system. That joint report came from 29 different organizations, including environmental groups, NGOs, and farming lobbies, and one of its recommendations was also to introduce an EU Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods by 2026.

“The EU is listening to the science and is aware of the significant impact of climate change and how food can impact greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, water usage, and human health,” said Jasmijn de Boo, Global CEO of ProVeg International, at the time. “It is heartening to know that a serious recommendation has been made to promote climate-friendly, plant-based foods and give nature a fighting chance to recover.”

Portugal recently published a “groundbreaking” new climate plan that explicitly recognizes the need for a national strategy on plant-based proteins to transform the food system.

Read more: Portugal’s ‘Groundbreaking’ Climate Plan Includes Plant-Based Protein Strategy

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

The San Francisco-based company combines date and grape seeds to create a traditional-tasting coffee drink, with notes of berries and dark chocolate. The oat milk base for the new Minus Instant Latte “provides creaminess” with a vegan-friendly recipe.

Minus Coffee says its new drink is designed to “fuel your day” consistently by combining just 50mg of caffeine (half the amount found in an average cup of coffee) with six grams of plant protein, which can help to smooth out the peaks and troughs of caffeine consumption.

The latte also includes L-Theanine, an inessential amino acid that the company says will help to keep people “alert and focused” without jitters, brain fog, or mood swings.

“In a world where women’s health is often overlooked, Minus Instant Latte was created for women by women,” said Maricel Saenz, CEO and founder of Minus Coffee. “For years, I noticed the effects caffeine was having on my mind and body – unbalanced cortisol spikes, energy crashes, and lingering anxiety jitters. I didn’t need to give up my favorite ritual – I just needed to reimagine it.”

Read more: Could ‘Beanless’ Coffee Be The Future?

Coffee minus the beans

Large-scale coffee production negatively impacts the environment, and a single kilogram of beans produces around 28.5kg of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). It’s one of the most traded commodities, and humans drink approximately 2 billion cups per day. 

Coffee is also extremely susceptible to the changing climate, and some experts have suggested that the two main strains of coffee – arabica and canephora – could go extinct by 2050. Around 60 percent of the remaining wild strains would also be jeopardized.

Minus Coffee says that by using a beanless, upcycled formula for its Minus Instant Latte it produces 86 percent fewer carbon emissions, requires 92 percent less land, and consumes 94 percent less water than traditional beans. Over 90 percent of the company’s upcycled ingredients are also sourced within the US, minimizing its footprint even more.

The Minus Instant Vanilla Oat Milk Latte is available from the Minus Coffee website. It costs USD $35 for 10 275g servings, with a 15 percent discount when you subscribe.

Read more: Is Decaf Coffee Really Unsafe? What You Need To Know

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

Veterinary Professor of Animal Welfare Andrew Knight noted that while publications such as The Times have recently covered the various benefits of feeding dogs a healthy, climate-friendly diet, very few acknowledge that plant-based foods are safe for cats as well.

In July last year, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) ended its longstanding opposition to vegan diets for dogs, providing they are “nutritionally sound.” However, the BVA still states that “It is not possible to form a complete vegan or vegetarian diet for cats.”

“While the articles were spot-on about the environmental benefits, they missed a key point: vegan diets can be safe for cats too,” said Knight on LinkedIn. “The BVA position is incorrect, the latest scientific evidence […] shows that properly formulated vegan diets can meet cats’ nutritional needs. It was not too long ago BVA dropped this opposition to vegan dogs.”

In particular, Knight cited a 2023 study that found “no overwhelming evidence” of adverse effects and highlighted that “beneficial findings” were consistent across several studies. Knight himself carried out a study that found cats tend to be healthier on a plant-based diet compared to an animal-based one. The study described this trend as “clear and consistent.”

Cats and other companion animals should be fed nutritionally complete diets suitable for their age, species, and any other requirements. Sustainable Pet Food has more information on this here and suggests finding reputable producers working with veterinary nutritionists.

Read more: Lewis Hamilton Says Bulldog Roscoe Is A ‘Different Dog’ Since Going Plant-Based

The environmental impact of feeding animals other animals

Around 25 percent of meat-based calories consumed in the US are eaten by companion animals. Cats and dogs contribute 25 to 30 percent of the meat industry’s total environmental impact, releasing millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

In January, Knight analyzed the potential impacts of transitioning the world’s dogs onto nutritious plant-based diets. He found it could save the equivalent of 5.7 billion tonnes of CO2 per year and free up an area of land larger than Mexico from animal farming.

On Tuesday of this week, Knight published a new study calling for a plant-based food system to tackle the worsening climate crisis and minimize further global warming.

“Climate change threatens much of life on Earth – including ourselves,” said Knight in a statement sent to Plant Based News. “Animal agriculture is a major emitter of greenhouse gases and a major cause of deforestation and freshwater use. Yet – compared to smaller emitters, such as the transportation sector – it has received shockingly little attention. Emissions from animal agriculture are so large that we cannot effectively slow climate change and environmental degradation by ignoring them. We simply must transition our societies towards more sustainable, plant-based diets.”

Knight has called for people to include companion animals in their Veganuary efforts.

Read more: Plant-Based Diets For Dogs And Cats – What Does The Research Say?

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

The vegan entrepreneur, writer, and speaker describes her podcast as the home of “bold takes and unapologetic discussions” about sustainability and intersecting topics. Sustainable Tea with Shreya has over 20 thousand subscribers on YouTube and over 11 million views.

“Winning Podcaster of the Year feels monumental because it’s validation for doing what I love: being a human microphone for sustainability. For talking about the things that matter, loudly and unapologetically,” wrote Ghodawat on LinkedIn.

The IWAA was founded in 2023 to recognize and honor “outstanding women achievers across diverse fields.” It is non-commercial, independent, and non-profit. There are more than 25 distinct award categories in addition to Podcaster of the Year.

Read more: Impossible Foods Founder Explores Turning Cattle Ranches Into Forests In New Documentary

“This award means the world to me. And to anyone who’s ever tuned in, shared an episode, or let me plant a seed in their mind: thank you,” added Ghodawat. “You are why I do this.”

Shreya Ghodawat at COP29

In November, Ghodawat and Plant Based Treaty’s scientific health advisor Kimmy Cushman highlighted several menu items at COP29 that contained animal products, despite being labeled vegan. One vegan-labeled bagel contained feta cheese, while a V-labeled salad contained salmon. Other “vegetarian” options included chicken, fish, and even beef. 

Speaking to Plant Based News at the time, Ghodawat noted that many of the food options at COP29 emphasized meat, despite animal agriculture’s significant role in the climate crisis. Most coffee stalls either did not serve plant-based milk or charged extra for them.

“It’s absolutely horrendous,” Ghodawat told PBN. “Words don’t do justice to the anger we’ve all felt.”

COP29 was notably attended by hundreds of industrial agriculture lobbyists, including representatives for JBS, the world’s largest meat company. In March, the state of New York sued JBS for “greenwashing” its deeply unsustainable business practices.

Listen to Sustainable Tea with Shreya here.

Read more: The Biggest Veganuary Food Launches For 2025

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.