An environmental organization emphasized the critical role of restricting factory farming in reducing climate-warming greenhouse gases during the Conference of the Parties (COP) talks in Dubai, known as COP28. According to World Animal Protection’s recent study, factory farming alone contributed to at least 11% of global emissions, with approximately 70% of the 80 billion animals raised annually for food residing in these systems, generating about 6.2 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions yearly. The United Arab Emirates, which held the presidency for COP28, urged nations to align food production with broader emission reduction objectives and led efforts in agricultural innovation.

David Garrahy, the external affairs manager at World Animal Protection, highlighted that the leaders’ declaration at COP28 committed signatory countries to integrate food systems into their national plans for emission reduction and adaptation. He emphasized that while food systems contributed around one-third of global greenhouse gases, animal agriculture alone was responsible for a fifth of this total. A call for action included a proposed ten-year moratorium on new factory farms and a redirection of subsidies toward more sustainable livestock and plant-based food production. Additionally, the organization advocated for increased contributions from major industrial farming conglomerates to climate loss and damage funds. COP28 featured dedicated events such as the “Food4Climate” Pavilion and “Food Day” to underscore the impact of food production on global warming, deforestation, and habitat destruction. Garrahy stressed that food systems’ significance, representing about 15% of global fossil fuel consumption, was interconnected with the central goals of the Paris Agreement and could not be overlooked in the quest to address fossil fuel reliance.