Climate Week NYC 2023 was a success.
World Animal Protection was in New York City to celebrate the Big Apple’s annual Climate Week, held from September 17-24. This year’s theme is “We Can. Will,” an ode to the determination of climate activists to create a better future for Earth’s inhabitants.
Our panel discussion, “Building a Climate-Friendly Food System,” set the tone for the week ahead. Annette Manusevich, our Farming Campaign Manager, shared how multinational meat giants, such as JBS, are responsible for deforestation, land encroachment, and wildlife degradation and stressed the need to reduce meat production in the US to save animals and our planet. Annette was joined by Patrick Jammet, representing the innovative animal-free protein company, Meati, and Craig Willingham, from the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, who shared their visionary solutions aimed at forging a more sustainable food system and enhancing food security. Watch the recording here.
Speaking at a climate panel at Columbia University.
Our “Give a Cluck About Climate” event treated New Yorkers near the vibrant Washington Square Park to an unforgettable culinary experience, featuring mouthwatering cruelty-free sandwiches that showcased Meati’s scrumptious fried “chicken” patty nestled in a bao bun. Our team hit the streets, extending invitations to the public to engage in our quizzes and games, where they not only learned about the profound environmental impact of factory farming but also had the chance to snag some fantastic prizes! To amplify the fun, we had the team from PLNT Burger join us, generously offering coupons for their restaurants and a trove of exciting swag. If you missed the action or simply want to relive the magic, check out our event recap video here!
Handing out plant-based sandwiches from our food truck.
Additionally, we launched our true crime-inspired campaign inviting people to investigate the question of who is killing wild animals in the forests and other diverse habitats of Brazil. Posters around NYC drew the attention of passersby who were asked if they were ready to learn the truth.
A “Who Killed This Monkey?” poster.
Fake crime scenes were also installed in four neighborhoods during climate week to draw even more urgent concern for wild animals such as sloths, jaguars, anteaters, and monkeys. The big reveal? Factory farming companies like JBS are responsible for the deaths of wild animals and the destruction of their homes!
A bystander snapping a shot of our climate crime exhibit.
Speaking of JBS–we joined our allies at Friends of the Earth US, Rainforest Action Network, and Global Witness outside of the New York Stock Exchange for a press conference calling on the financial sector to oppose the company’s latest attempt to be publicly traded in the US. Allowing JBS on the NYSE opens its universe of potential investors, but the risks to animals, people, and the planet are simply too high. Investments shouldn’t support the expansion of animal production; they should direct resources to animal-free and climate-friendly foods!
Protesting against JBS on Wall Street, NYC.
Climate Week may be over, but our work to end factory farming marches on! Help us continue to build creative tactics that expose the truth about factory farming and catalyze more innovative solutions.