Animal agriculture is a major driver of climate change, and climate change causes enormous animal suffering. Addressing both crises simultaneously through dietary and systemic change offers the most effective path forward.
The animal welfare movement and the climate movement have a common interest in reducing animal agriculture's scale. Factory farming drives both massive animal suffering and significant greenhouse gas emissions. Solutions overlap substantially: reducing meat consumption improves animal welfare, reduces emissions, and frees land for carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat. The welfare case for dietary change is also the climate case. Advocates who frame animal welfare arguments in climate terms reach audiences that are not engaged by animal welfare framing alone. Coalitions between animal welfare and environmental organizations are strategically important for achieving the systemic changes both communities need.