In its election platform, the Plante Administration pledged to sign the C40 Good Food Cities Declaration, which calls on signatory cities to review their policies in order to reduce food-related greenhouse gases by up to 60%. Fourteen cities have made the commitment, including Barcelona, Paris, London, Copenhagen and Toronto. It’s time to ask the Ville de Montréal to follow through on its election promise and sign the C40 Declaration without delay.
With this simple gesture, you are showing your support for effective environmental policies that will protect our planet and all of us, humans and animals alike.
Our food choices have a direct impact on farmed animals, since, in Canada alone, 800 million animals are raised and killed each year for human consumption. The vast majority of these animals are raised on factory farms, in conditions that are incompatible with their welfare. Our dietary choices also lead to the climatic disruptions that affect ecosystems and therefore all animal species. Even companion animals suffer from climate disasters, population displacement and increasingly arid environments.
Animal protection organizations and groups advocating on behalf of vulnerable populations must join forces with the environmental protection mouvement. Everyone’s future depends on it. Greatly involved in its community, the Montreal SPCA takes interest in the environmental challenges we face, because they affect both humans and animals.
The Montreal SPCA is proud to highlight its involvement in the Coalition for a Sustainable Food Transition, a group of environmental and animal protection organizations that aims to gradually transform the food system to include more plant-based foods. Montrealers, please sign the letter below, addressed to Mayor Plante and your city councillor, to show your support for effective environmental policies that will protect our planet and all of us, humans and animals alike.
Science tells us that reducing our consumption of animal products is one of the most effective ways to reduce our environmental footprint. In a report released on April 5, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identified reducing our consumption of meat and dairy products as one of the lifestyle changes we need to make quickly to curb climate change.
Towns and cities are currently around the world are making policy changes. Citizens and elected officials are working together to adopt measures that will have a rapid impact on their city’s carbon footprint.
Inspiring examples of change in motion:
— Barcelona: Barcelona has declared itself a “vegetarian– and vegan–friendly city” and promotes the development of local businesses that offer plant-based options on their menus.
— Milan: Milan has committed to completely eliminating red meat from all school menus for children, aged 3 to 14 years.
— Berkeley: Berkeley has passed policies to cut animal products in public institutions’ menus by 50% by 2024 (with the goal of eliminating them completely in the long term).
