Animal welfare seen as key to tackling climate change, biodiversity loss at UNEA-7

Guwahati: At the seventh UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi, nations face interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

Animal welfare is increasingly recognized as a critical component of addressing these challenges.

The 2022 UNEA resolution on the Animal Welfare-Environment-Sustainable Development Nexus acknowledged that improving animal welfare can contribute to environmental protection and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but progress on implementation has been limited.

UNEA-7 offers a chance to advance concrete action connecting animal welfare, environmental health, and human well-being.

Industrial animal agriculture has significant environmental impacts.

Global demand for animal protein is reshaping ecosystems, particularly in the Amazon.

During the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 30) in Brazil, field visits to Santarém revealed that rainforest areas have been replaced by large monoculture soy plantations used for livestock feed.

Local communities are exposed to pesticide drift and rising temperatures, while biodiversity and carbon storage have declined.

Approximately 76% of global soy is used for animal feed, with Brazil supplying nearly 40%, making soy a key driver of tropical deforestation, second only to cattle ranching.

Deforestation in the Amazon affects regional rainfall, soil quality, freshwater cycles, and local livelihoods.

Wildlife habitats are shrinking, and rural and Indigenous communities face increased exposure to pesticides and land conflicts.

Fragmented ecosystems also heighten the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.

Agriculture contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions while also being increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

These environmental impacts are closely linked to consumption patterns in the Global North. Denmark, for instance, imports large amounts of soy to support its intensive pig industry, generating significant CO? emissions and perpetuating animal welfare concerns.

These examples illustrate the transboundary nature of modern food systems and the need for coordinated global solutions.

Shifting to sustainable, low-input, high-welfare food production and consumption systems can reduce land use change, pollution, and biodiversity loss while supporting climate mitigation and public health.

Such systems contribute to SDGs on responsible consumption (12), climate action (13), and good health and well-being (3).

International organizations are increasingly recognizing these connections.

At the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP 16), the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health acknowledged animal welfare’s role in reducing zoonotic risks.

FAO resolutions focus on sustainable agrifood systems and the contribution of animal health and welfare.

A UN General Assembly resolution reinforced the importance of animal welfare in achieving the SDGs.

The Wildlife for Climate Declaration emphasizes wildlife protection and habitat restoration as nature-based solutions for climate change, supporting the Paris Agreement.

UNEA-7 offers a platform for member states to translate recognition of these links into action. Discussions will cover environmental crimes, wildlife trafficking, and antimicrobial resistance, among other challenges.

Reports from the World Federation for Animals (WFA) and studies by IPBES and the Stockholm Environment Institute underline the potential of animal welfare to create positive outcomes across biodiversity, climate mitigation, pollution reduction, food security, and human health.

By integrating animal welfare considerations into environmental policy, UNEA-7 can promote cooperation across multilateral environmental agreements, including the Rio Conventions (UNFCCC, CBD, UNCCD), and strengthen global responses to the triple planetary crisis.