Climate Conference: Controversy Over Meat Dishes
No lessons were learned from last year's event, so beef remains firmly on the menu at COP27.
COP27 has once again drawn criticism from climate activists due to unsustainable meat and dairy products being offered on the menus.
The annual UN climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, also offers participants the opportunity to enjoy “bottomless cocktails.” In addition, a one-hour unlimited wine and beer package is available.
Confirmed menu options include a beef medallion for $100, a seafood platter as a starter for $50, and a salmon composition for $40. Salmon is not native to Egypt, meaning it was likely flown in from the Atlantic Ocean thousands of miles away.
The menu is being regarded from various quarters as yet another failure of the conference to highlight and address the role of meat and dairy production in exacerbating the climate crisis.
The Vegan Society published a statement addressing the perceived hypocrisy. It said: “It is truly disappointing that at such a significant climate change event as COP27, high-impact meat and fish from another continent are being served.”
Repeating Last Year's Mistakes
This is not the first time a COP event has sparked debate. Last year's COP26, held in Glasgow, was also met with disappointment. It emerged that participants ate several meat dishes and were transported by private jets.
In the run-up to the event, 53 non-governmental organizations contacted British ministers as well as COP26 President Alok Sharma. They demanded that livestock farming and its impact on the climate be made a major topic of discussion. The request was rejected, with preference instead given to advocates of meat and dairy products.
An additional blow for climate campaigners was that the menus were heavily meat-laden. Beef (one of the most climate-damaging foods), chicken and dairy products were on the menu. These dishes were served despite the conference having called for leading by example and offering a fully vegan menu. This decision was repeated for this year's event.
A further consequence of COP26 is the continued use of private jets. It is estimated that around 400 private aircraft were deployed to bring delegates to the event. Among them was alleged environmentalist King Charles III. US President Joe Biden and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also followed suit.
Matt Finch of the campaign group Transport and Environment said at the time: «The average private jet emits two tonnes of CO2 per flight hour. It cannot be stressed enough how bad private jets are for the environment; it is the worst way to travel that exists.»
It has been confirmed that at least 36 private jets landed in Sharm el-Sheikh before the start of the COP27 conference. A further 64 also landed in Cairo.
A vegan menu would have sent a clear signal
At the opening of the COP27 summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered an urgent speech in which he warned heads of state and government that we are collectively on a «highway to climate hell.»
He presented delegates with two options: to work together to resolve the crisis, or to sign a «collective suicide pact.»
Climate experts have issued similarly urgent warnings, among them Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessor Dr. Peter Carter. In the context of the temperature rise on our planet, Carter described it as «global suicide» before reiterating his conviction that the widespread global adoption of a vegan diet is now an «imperative for survival.»
Carter's recommendation stems from the fact that meat and dairy production is responsible for at least 14.5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Both are also the primary causes of deforestation.
Together, these two factors ensure that more CO2 and methane are released into the atmosphere than can ever be absorbed. Methane is of particular concern, and the UN concludes that emissions must be reduced by 45% by 2030. This is essential if we are to have any chance of complying with the Paris Agreement and limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Had COP27 chosen to put together an entirely plant-based menu for the two-week summit, it could have underscored the impact of meat and dairy products on the climate crisis. Furthermore, the event could potentially have sparked a broader discussion about the environmental benefits of vegan food.
“This is a missed opportunity for world leaders to connect the topics of food and climate and lead by example by presenting a delicious, environmentally friendly, plant-based menu to show how such changes can make a big difference to the future of the planet,” said a spokesperson for the Vegan Society. Further background on the relationship between diet and conservation on wildbeimwild.com.
