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COP29 Focuses on Sustainable Diets: Plant-Based Eating Becomes a Key Topic for Carbon Reduction

The 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) took place from November 11 to 22 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Promoting plant-based diets emerges as one of the key topics, with experts and representatives from participating countries agreeing that shifting to a plant-based diet is an effective way to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

During the conference, nearly all food vendors offered plant-based options, marked with green leaf symbols to help vegetarians identify them easily. The event also hosted numerous lectures and exhibitions related to sustainable diets. Many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and climate advocates called on governments to integrate dietary shifts into policies and make promoting plant-based diets a part of national carbon reduction strategies.

Ven. You Lin, World Headquarters UN NGO Office Director, and Zhang Hui visited the plant-based dining area, actively promoting the "Vegetarian Plan A." They encouraged attendees to scan a QR code to support the initiative and track the campaign’s progress. Current data showed that the accumulated plant-based meal days have surpassed 520 million, equivalent to reducing 1.5 million tons of carbon emissions.

Ven. You Lin emphasized that choosing plant-based meals not only protects life but, more importantly, mitigates global warming. She encouraged everyone to participate in climate action through tangible efforts to care for the Earth. The Plant-Based Treaty organizers used social media to inspire public engagement and gather signatures, aiming to secure a fully plant-based menu at future climate conferences.

The Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change issued a special recommendation to establish a plant-based restaurant, De Rama Vegan & Vegetarian Cuisine, during COP29. This initiative promoted sustainable diets, ensuring meals with minimal carbon footprints. Founders Rauf Shikhaliyev and his wife, Sabina, who have been vegetarians for 18 years, shared their journey. Initially motivated by health, they later adopted vegetarianism out of compassion for animals and have since opened plant-based restaurants in various locations to advocate for this lifestyle.

Azerbaijan's largest restaurant, Mangal National Cuisine, features a menu where more than half the options are plant-based during COP29. Rufat Mamedzade, the hospitable restaurant manager, explained that the goal was to make international guests feel at home. The restaurant offered dishes catering to global tastes, especially with plant-based options. During the conference, 20% of diners were vegetarians.

The diverse plant-based options at COP29 highlighted the importance of adopting plant-based diets. Ven. You Lin viewed the conference as a milestone in global climate action and a powerful boost for the popularization and practice of plant-based eating. This effort injected new possibilities into achieving carbon reduction goals.