Welfare Science

Animal Welfare and Climate Change: Compound Risks

Climate change interacts with existing welfare challenges across all animal groups, compounding suffering and creating new welfare risks that require integrated responses.

Key Facts

Heat stress kills millions of farmed animals annually, with climate change increasing severity
Drought reduces food availability for wildlife, increasing starvation mortality
Ocean warming bleaches corals, eliminating habitat for millions of reef species
Disease range expansion driven by warming is increasing parasite burdens in wild populations

Welfare Considerations

Climate change is a welfare multiplier, worsening existing suffering and creating new welfare crises. The animal welfare community must engage with climate policy because climate action directly reduces animal suffering. Welfare-climate nexus research is urgently needed.

What You Can Do

Support climate policy advocacy through animal welfare organisations
Engage with farm animal welfare in climate policy discussions
Follow research on climate change impacts on wildlife welfare and disease burden