Actor Alan Cumming has written to the President of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) on behalf of PETA UK urging him to serve only plant-based food at the event.
The versatile British star pointed out that livestock farming was one of the leading causes of the climate crisis, which the event, in fact, seeks to combat.
Addressing the letter to Alok Sharma, Cumming wrote, “Given that animal agriculture contributes to many of the serious environmental problems the planet is facing, I hope you’ll agree that serving meat while trying to fight climate change is like serving beer at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.”
There is also an online petition doing rounds since March this year calling on the COP26 to go plant-based. The petition has garnered thousands of signatures already.
According to the United Nations, animal agriculture alone is responsible for nearly one-fifth of all human induced greenhouse gas emissions and factory farming is one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.
Apart from obvious ethical reasons, it is estimated that a widespread transition to a plant-based diet could cut down global greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by the year 2050.
Stating the fact that the event will be held in Glasgow, which is frequently cited as one of the most veganfriendly cities in the world, Cumming wrote that this will make offering a fully vegan menu all the more exciting.
“If the goal of the COP26 summit is to protect the planet—as well as promote compassionate, responsible behavior—animal-derived foods have no place on the menu.”
