Veganuary Success: Campaign’s 1 Million+ Participants Have Saved 100,000 Tonnes Of CO2

Since its first campaign, the U.K.-based initiative Veganuary has attracted more than a million participants pledging to eat plant-based for the month of January, and the latest data has revealed the enormous positive environmental impact it has had on the planet. Now, launching their 2021 campaign, the organisers of Veganuary hope that more people will join the movement for the new year at a time when the climate and health crisis has signalled the need for change has never been greater. 

Earlier this year, Veganuary announced that it has reached the one million milestone amid the continued rise in awareness of the health, sustainability and safety benefits of eating a plant-based diet. According to new statistics compiled by Harvard University researcher Dr. Helen Harwatt, the cohort of Veganuary pledgers have collectively helped to save more than 103,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide – equivalent to the emissions of driving around the entire planet nearly 15,000 times. 

The research also showed that committing to Veganuary has resulted in saving 6.2 million litres of water, 3.4 million animal lives and avoiding 405 tonnes of eutrophication, which is the same as sparing 1,645 tonnes of sewage from polluting waterways.  

2021 is the year for positive action and Veganuary is urging everyone to embrace this opportunity to reshape the future and sign-up to try vegan.

Veganuary

Read: A beginners guide to going vegan in 8 easy steps

These figures, which show the huge environmental impact we could have by going vegan for the month of January, provides concrete evidence to convince more participants to join the Veganuary campaign this coming 2021. 

“2021 is the year for positive action and Veganuary is urging everyone to embrace this opportunity to reshape the future and sign-up to try vegan,” said the organisers in a press release. 

Veganuary’s 2021 campaign, its eighth edition, comes at a time when the planet is facing both the threat of climate catastrophe and the global coronavirus pandemic – both crises that scientists have reiterated are linked to humanity’s unsustainable consumption of animal products. 

A recent report from the United Nations has underlined the risks that animal agriculture poses, citing industrial factory farming and the world’s hunger for animal protein as two of the top seven drivers of emerging zoonotic pandemics. 

Read: 6 vegan pantry staples to help you survive Veganuary

We can emerge from this stronger and wiser, with a renewed commitment to protecting the environment, its inhabitants and our own futures. Being vegan is a great way to support the natural world and to live sustainably.

Chris Packham

Echoing the charity’s call to action, renowned British environmentalist and ambassador for the initiative, Chris Packham, said: “Trashing the planet does none of us any good, as the coronavirus pandemic shows all too clearly. But we can emerge from this stronger and wiser, with a renewed commitment to protecting the environment, its inhabitants and our own futures. Being vegan is a great way to support the natural world and to live sustainably.”

“Most emerging infectious diseases come from animals, so when we cut down their habitats, cram them into factory farms, or imprison them in cages on fur farms, we are not only causing terrible harm to those we share the planet with, we are harming ourselves, too,” added Evanna Lynch, the famous Luna Lovegood actress in the Harry Potter film series. “The good news is we can change our relationship with animals and taking part in Veganuary 2021 is a great place to start.” 

Last year, Veganuary drew in more than 400,000 participants from over 190 countries. The charity hopes that this year, the campaign will attract half a million people, and will be expanding its programs in Brazil, Argentina and launch an all-new French language pledge to reach its goal. 

Make a difference in 2021 and take the Veganuary pledge today.

Lead image courtesy of Prime Roots.