‘Try vegan’ charity Veganuary is today calling on Parliament to ditch meat and dairy for the month of January – to help avert catastrophic climate change.

To date, more than 250,000 people from 193 countries have tried the month-long pledge and by the end of January 2019 the charity expects a further 300,000 people to have taken part.

The government has so far done little to heed the advice of the scientific community, which argues that reducing meat and dairy consumption is vital if we are to address global warming.

Political leadership

The public appetite for everything vegan continues to skyrocket, according to the charity, but this has not been matched by policy or political leadership. Claire Perry MP, the minister whose job it is to tackle climate change, refused to recommend that people reduce their consumption of meals like steak and chips.

Rich Hardy, head of campaigns at Veganuary, said: “Switching to tasty plant-based alternatives in the cafeterias of Parliament would be a simple step to take for our leaders to lead by example, and show they’re serious about tackling climate change.”

Veganuary participants cite a number of different reasons to try vegan – including tackling climate change, improving their health and reducing animal suffering.

Veganuary is partnering with dynamic environmental and animal protection groups in India, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Brazil, Russia and South Africa to offer the full, locally-tailored Veganuary experience to people signing up for a 31-day vegan pledge in those countries, in their native language.

Journey of discovery 

People taking part in Veganuary this year will be helped through their month-long journey of discovery by Veganuary’s team of plant-based experts and a vast social media community.

Participants receive daily emails containing recipes, meal plans, inspirational videos, and helpful tips on nutrition, how to stock your cupboards and much more. They also receive thought-provoking information about the impact of what we eat on our health, animals and the environment.

And if that’s not enough, the Veganuary website – the world’s largest online resource for vegan pledgers – will be crammed full of exciting new content, including films from supporters in show-business, professional sport and the culinary world.

High-profile supporters of this year’s Veganuary campaign include Dancing with the Stars finalist and Harry Potter actress Evanna Lynch; Arsenal and France footballer Hector Bellerin; actor Peter Egan; Aussie cricket legend Jason Gillespie; leading animal advocate Earthling Ed; A Place In The Sun presenter Jasmine Harman; TV and radio presenter Sarah-Jane Crawford; and wildlife ambassador Chris Packham.

This Article 

This article is based on a press release from Veganuary.