For Immediate Release:
November 5, 2025
Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382
Concerned by the United Nations Climate Change Conference's plans to serve planet-killing meat -- even as the UN itself reports that a global shift toward plant-based eating is vital to combat the worst effects of the climate catastrophe -- Sir Paul McCartney sent a letter today on PETA's behalf to COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago, urging him to align COP30's menu with its mission by going meat-free.
"Protecting the life-sustaining Amazon must be a top priority for environmentalists of all nationalities, so I was shocked to learn that only 40% of the food served at COP30 is currently slated to be vegetarian," writes McCartney. "Serving meat at a climate summit is like handing out cigarettes at a cancer-prevention conference! I urge you to lead by example and make the conference all vegetarian."
Multiple studies show that greenhouse gases from animal agriculture are a leading contributor to the climate catastrophe. In the Amazon region hosting COP30, massive areas continue to burn due to forest clearing for cattle ranching and animal feed crops, releasing tons of carbon and destroying critical biodiversity.
PETA -- whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to eat" -- points out thatEvery Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA also offers a free vegan starter kit on its website for anyone ready to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
McCartney's letter to Corrêa do Lago follows.
André Corrêa do Lago
President of COP30
Dear Mr. Corrêa do Lago:
I'm writing on behalf of my friends at PETA to ask you to align COP30's menu with its mission by making it all vegetarian. This would greatly reduce its carbon footprint and overall environmental impact, setting a positive example for the world to follow.
It is fitting that COP30 will be held in Belem, the gateway to the Amazon, whose rainforest is often called "the lungs of the Earth" because it absorbs and stores massive amounts of carbon dioxide while releasing oxygen. Protecting the life-sustaining Amazon must be a top priority for environmentalists of all nationalities, so I was shocked to learn that only 40% of the food served at COP30 is currently slated to be vegetarian.
Serving meat at a climate summit is like handing out cigarettes at a cancer-prevention conference! The animal agriculture industry is a top driver of deforestation and the climate catastrophe that is wreaking havoc on the planet. Indeed, cattle ranching accounts for 80% of rainforest deforestation. In Brazil, the practice of cutting and burning the rainforest to make room for cattle farms, combined with ever-drier conditions due to climate change, is causing the Amazon to burn at an alarming rate, creating a vicious cycle with devastating and far-reaching consequences.
COP30's own website confirms that plant-based meals have a substantially lower carbon footprint, so I urge you to lead by example and make the conference all vegetarian.
Thank you for your consideration.