14 Mayors Commit to Slashing Meat Consumption in Major Cities Worldwide 

This month, mayors from 14 major cities worldwide committed to slashing the amount of meat consumed by their constituents. As part of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group’s initiative to mitigate the climate crisis, mayors from Barcelona, Copenhagen, Guadalajara, Lima, London, Los Angeles, Milan, Oslo, Paris, Quezon City, Seoul, Stockholm, Tokyo, and Toronto all signed a declaration to become “Good Food Cities” by implementing policies that align with the “planetary health diet” by 2030. The commitment includes a pledge to reduce the procurement of meat products to 300 grams (10.6 ounces or about two burger patties) per person per week. “Greenpeace welcomes the leadership shown by 14 cities across three continents who are reducing meat in response to the climate emergency, and we urge other cities to do the same. To tackle the climate crisis, cut carbon emissions and protect forests, cities need to take action to cut their meat consumption now,” Greenpeace International Senior Scientist Reyes Tirado said. “We are in a climate emergency, fuelled in significant part by excessive industrial meat production and consumption. We have no time to lose. These city leaders have recognised the power they have in reducing meat. It’s time for more cities to swiftly follow suit.” The declaration was made at the Mayors Summit of the C40 cities network in Copenhagen, shortly after a demand letter signed by 65 scientists urging mayors worldwide to cut animal products on school menus was delivered on October 7 to Milan Urban Food Policy Pact & C40 global cities summits in France. To do his part, Santa Fe, NM mayor Alan Webber recently designated November as “Vegan Awareness Month.”