Antalya, Türkiye — Plant Based Treaty, ProVeg International, and Climate Bridges, members of The Food & Climate Action Group, are welcoming news regarding the catering options forecast to be available at UNFCCC COP31, being held in Antalya, Türkiye, November 9-20. Promises of exclusively vegan cafes and plant-based menu options within the COP31 venue and local eateries in the city all offer cause for celebration for those advocating for more planet-friendly, climate-resilient and healthier food systems.
COP31 is the year’s biggest climate change conference, bringing together world leaders to negotiate how we will reach the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2.0°C. With food systems accounting for about one third of greenhouse gas emissions, COP31 could be an opportunity to fuel policymakers with delicious plant-based food and help shape decisions about the future of our global food systems.
Information shared with the team in Antalya in advance of COP31 indicates the Presidency has taken note of calls for more food options that have a reduced impact on the climate. The coalition has been informed of the goal of 60% vegetarian catering, and that there will be a fully plant-based cafe in the venue, with two further Antalya-based vegan businesses invited to participate in the food court. Also, clear labeling, including ingredients and nutritional information, will be listed on all food items to ensure delegates can make informed choices.
The food we eat, and where it comes from, matters not just for our own health and nutrition and for animal welfare, but it directly impacts the climate. According to UNEP, animal agriculture accounts for 60% of food-related greenhouse gas emissions and 14-20% of total global emissions. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change “Mitigation of Climate Change” report (2022) explicitly highlights the opportunity of a shift towards diets rich in plant-based foods, “particularly pulses, nuts, fruits and vegetables, such as vegetarian, pescatarian or vegan diets” as having the potential to “lead to substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as compared to current dietary patterns in most industrialized countries.”
Furthermore, the health impact of food consumption is directly relevant to global nutrition security, a key topic discussed at these high-level climate conferences. The World Health Organization’s “A healthy diet sustainably produced: information sheet” promotes moving toward plant-rich diets, which could also help to reduce chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer, as well as the associated costs of treatment and lost income.
The level of planet-friendly food on offer at previous UNFCCC Climate conferences has varied. At COP28 in Dubai, around two-thirds of food on offer to delegates and parties was reported to be vegan or vegetarian, whereas hosts at COP29 in Baku received criticism for mislabelling foods as vegetarian or vegan which contained meat and dairy.
Juliette Tronchon, from ProVeg International, remembers:
“At COP28, the Presidency’s decision to make plant-rich options a predominant part of the catering offer set a historic precedent. It showed what happens when ambitious leadership meets sustained civil society pressure, above all from young people. Through the Food@COP campaign launched after COP25 under YOUNGO, a demand was turned into reality at the world’s biggest climate conference: shifting towards plant-based food systems is essential to meeting the Paris Agreement targets, and COP28 showed that climate events can lead by example.”
In Belém, an independent survey conducted by ProVeg Brazil of 19 outlets at COP30 found that over half of all foods were vegan or vegetarian. Despite this positive number, several issues were identified on the ground, including some mislabeling, higher prices for the plant-based options, low availability of plant-based milk alternatives, and a significant presence of beef, whose carbon footprint is among the biggest.
COP30 also saw the launch of the Belém Declaration on Plant-Rich Diets, which collected support from leaders of city and regional governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders to call on national governments to promote healthy and sustainable diets through the drafting and implementation of Action Plans for Plant-Based Foods. The Declaration acknowledges the role that plant-rich diets play in stronger food-related policies and in mitigating the climate crisis. COP31 presents an opportunity to demonstrate that plant-based foods provide not only healthy options, but also a lever for real climate action.
Nilgün Engin at Plant Based Treaty, member of the Food & Climate Action Group, comments:
“There is growing awareness of the connection between our global food system and climate change, so it is vital that the international conference dedicated to this space offers meal choices that are minimizing harm. The production of animal-sourced foods is attributed to up to 20% of emissions, and switching to climate-friendly options sends a signal that leaders are serious about addressing this. We look forward to attending COP31 in Türkiye next month, and enjoying meals that are in line with the Paris Agreement and less damaging to our planet and all of its inhabitants.”
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Editor’s notes:
The Food & Climate Action group is a coalition of 20+ international NGOs advocating primarily for food systems transformation within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Our mission is to promote and support long-term and systemic change in food consumption and production at global and national levels to reduce reliance on animal-centric food systems, aligning with the Paris Agreement targets.
Contact details for press officers:
Gemma Chapman | Senior International Communications Manager, ProVeg International | [email protected]
Plant Based Treaty | [email protected]
