Wildlife Welfare

Animal Welfare in Climate Change Scenarios

Climate change is reshaping habitat conditions for wild animals globally, creating unprecedented welfare challenges through extreme heat, shifting seasons, habitat loss, and food system disruptions.

Key Facts

Average global temperatures have increased 1.1 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times
Range shifts are occurring faster than many species can adapt or migrate
Heat waves cause mass mortality events in birds, bats, and marine animals
Ocean acidification and warming are disrupting marine food webs globally
Climate projections indicate accelerating biodiversity loss and habitat fragmentation

Welfare Considerations

Climate change is creating systemic welfare harms for wild animals that no individual intervention can fully address. Heat stress, starvation from disrupted prey availability, disease range expansion, and extreme weather mortality events are all documented welfare impacts. Addressing climate change through emissions reduction is itself an animal welfare intervention of enormous scale.

What You Can Do

Reduce your personal carbon footprint through diet, transportation, and energy choices
Support climate policy that includes biodiversity and wildlife habitat protections
Donate to wildlife conservation organizations that incorporate climate adaptation
Learn about the specific climate threats facing wildlife in your region and advocate accordingly