The single most important decision you can make for animals, the planet, and yourself.
8 min read
Veganism is one of the most effective things an individual can do to reduce their impact on the planet, end their contribution to animal suffering, and improve their own health — all at the same time. This article explains why.
People go vegan for different reasons. Some care primarily about animals. Others are driven by climate anxiety. Many discover the evidence on human health and decide the change makes sense from a purely selfish standpoint. Whichever reason resonates most with you, the good news is that going vegan addresses all three simultaneously.
The most direct reason is also the simplest: animals feel pain, fear, and grief. The scientific consensus on animal sentience has shifted dramatically over the past three decades. In 2012, the Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness — signed by a prominent group of neuroscientists — concluded that non-human animals possess the neurological substrates that generate consciousness.
Every year, approximately 80 billion land animals are slaughtered for food globally. The overwhelming majority spend their lives in conditions that cause chronic stress, physical injury, and deprivation of every natural behaviour. This is not a marginal phenomenon — it is the foundation of our food system.
The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?
Animal agriculture is responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions — more than all transport combined. It uses 77% of all agricultural land while producing just 18% of global calories. And it is the leading driver of deforestation, ocean dead zones, and freshwater depletion.
14.5%
of global GHG emissions from animal agriculture
FAO, 2013
77%
of farmland used for livestock
Poore & Nemecek, 2018
80bn
land animals killed per year
1 kg
beef = 60 kg CO₂e
Oxford University
A 2018 Oxford University study — the most comprehensive analysis of the food system's environmental impact to date — found that going vegan is the single biggest thing an individual can do to reduce their environmental impact, reducing their food-related carbon footprint by up to 73%.
Your carbon footprint savings
Switching to a vegan diet saves approximately 1.5 tonnes of CO₂e per year — equivalent to taking a small car off the road.
Well-planned vegan diets are associated with lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, hypertension, and obesity. The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada have both stated that well-planned vegan diets are "healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases."
💡 The keyword is 'well-planned'
True — humans have eaten many things throughout history, including each other. The fact that a practice is ancient does not make it morally justified or practically necessary. We also have access to a broader range of foods than any humans in history, and the evidence clearly shows we can thrive without animal products.
Each vegan saves approximately 200 animals per year and reduces their carbon footprint by around 1.5 tonnes of CO₂e. Multiply that by the growing number of vegans worldwide, and the numbers add up quickly. More importantly, individual choices create demand signals and cultural change at scale.
Veganism has never been easier or more affordable. The global plant-based food industry has grown from a niche to a mainstream category. In most supermarkets you can buy plant-based versions of almost every product. And the cheapest foods on earth — beans, lentils, rice, oats — are all vegan.
You don't have to go vegan overnight. Most people find a gradual transition — starting with one plant-based day per week, then two, then a week, then a month — is far more sustainable than cold turkey. The key is momentum.
📊 Start here