Animal Welfare Impact Assessment in Policy Making

Systematic animal welfare impact assessment is an emerging policy tool that could transform how governments evaluate decisions affecting animal lives.

Key Facts

The UK's Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 established an Animal Sentience Committee to advise on government policy impacts on animal welfare
New Zealand's National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee similarly reviews policy for animal welfare implications
Standard regulatory impact assessments rarely include animal welfare as a quantified cost or benefit
Animal welfare economists have developed frameworks for monetizing welfare impacts to integrate them into standard cost-benefit analysis
The Five Domains model and other frameworks offer structured approaches to assessing policy impacts across nutrition, environment, health, behavior, and mental state
International trade agreements increasingly include animal welfare clauses, requiring welfare impact assessment in trade negotiations

Welfare Considerations

Animal welfare impact assessment represents a systemic approach to ensuring that animal interests are routinely considered alongside human economic and social interests in policy development. Without structured assessment frameworks, animal welfare considerations are frequently omitted from decisions that have enormous impacts on billions of animals. Embedding welfare impact assessment in standard government processes is one of the highest-leverage policy reforms available.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for animal sentience recognition and welfare impact assessment requirements in your country
Engage with consultations on animal welfare legislation and policy in your jurisdiction
Learn about animal welfare economics and the tools available for policy-level impact assessment
Advocate for international trade agreements to include meaningful, enforceable animal welfare standards