Animal Welfare and Climate Change Adaptation

Climate change is creating new and intensifying existing welfare challenges for domestic and wild animals, requiring integrated approaches that address both climate mitigation and animal welfare adaptation.

Key Facts

Heat waves are causing mass mortality events in livestock, particularly poultry and pigs, across Europe
Ocean warming and acidification are affecting fish behaviour and physiology in ways that may compromise welfare
Changing disease vector ranges are exposing livestock to new parasites and pathogens
Wild animals are facing rapid habitat shifts that force movements into unfamiliar and often dangerous territories
Emergency welfare provisions for animals during extreme weather events are inadequate in most countries

Welfare Considerations

Climate change is both a direct and indirect welfare threat for animals. Direct impacts include heat stress causing acute suffering and death in livestock, coral bleaching affecting fish welfare, and extreme weather events killing wild animals. Indirect impacts include habitat loss from sea level rise, drought-driven starvation, and disease spread. Domestic animals during disasters are frequently left behind when evacuation plans do not include them. Farmed animals in intensive systems have very limited ability to thermoregulate or escape heat stress. Climate adaptation planning must include animal welfare provisions to prevent massive suffering increases as climate impacts intensify.

What You Can Do

Advocate for animal welfare provisions in climate adaptation planning and disaster response
Support organisations working on heat stress mitigation in livestock farming
Include pets and livestock in personal emergency and disaster preparedness plans
Reduce your carbon footprint to address the root cause of climate-driven welfare threats
Learn about the specific welfare impacts of climate change on different animal species