Bonn Climate Change Conference: Shift Food, Save Earth

What Is the Bonn Climate Change Conference?

The Bonn Climate Change Conference 2025 (SB62) is a key event shaping international climate negotiations ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil. As the world’s policymakers, scientists, and civil society converge in Bonn, the focus is on accelerating climate action.

The conference is part of the annual UNFCCC negotiations and sets the stage for final decisions at the COP summit and beyond.

Why Is World Animal Protection at the Bonn Climate Change Conference 2025?

The climate crisis is also an animal welfare crisis. Industrial animal agriculture is one of the leading drivers of greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss.

These harms affect billions of farmed animals suffering in factory farms, and countless wild animals displaced by the relentless expansion of industrial systems. Despite this, animals are largely missing from global climate strategies.

World Animal Protection is at SB62 to change that narrative.

We’re spotlighting the climate damage caused by factory farming and calling for bold, system-wide reforms that must begin now—and culminate in decisive action at COP30. 

Here are five key things World Animal Protection wants to see on the Road to Belem:

1. A Just Transition in Food and Agriculture 

Governments must commit to a just transition away from factory farming. This includes supporting farmers and workers in adopting resilient, sustainable, and humane food systems. Agroecology and plant-based solutions must be central to future agriculture.

2. Global Shift Away from Factory Farming

High-income nations must lead a global shift away from industrial animal agriculture while supporting lower-income countries in strengthening local, humane food systems. This transformation is essential for climate resilience and food security.

3. Redirecting Public Funds

World Animal Protection calls for public subsidies and climate finance to be redirected from factory farming to agroecological, plant-based, and higher-welfare food production. Financing must support climate-friendly farming that benefits people, animals, and the planet.

4. Action to Stop Deforestation

Governments must urgently halt deforestation and habitat loss linked to animal feed production and livestock expansion. Protecting forests is key to safeguarding biodiversity and stabilising the climate.

5. Joined-Up Climate and Nature Policies

Food systems must be fully integrated into climate, biodiversity and land policies. This includes protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, small-scale farmers, and the well-being of all animals, wild and farmed.

Food, Agriculture and Animals Still Not at the Centre of Climate Talks - More Work Ahead

World Animal Protection was on the ground for two weeks at the June Climate Meetings in Bonn, drawing attention to industrial animal agriculture as a major climate culprit and urging negotiators to centre equitable, humane and sustainable food systems in climate action.

There were some encouraging signs. In the first workshop under the Sharm el Sheikh Joint Work on Agriculture (SJWA), agroecology was acknowledged as a holistic and systemic approach by several Parties.

The Brazil COP30 Presidency also indicated that transforming food systems and agriculture will be part of its Six-Axis Action Agenda offering a potential opening for meaningful progress.

Yet much more is needed. It is unclear whether agroecology will finally get its rightful recognition and support especially in terms of financing and implementation.

Climate finance continues to be a sticking point across workstreams, and while just transition discussions are gaining traction, food and agriculture remain largely outside that frame. 

We are also cautious about the growing influence of corporate agribusiness in these discussions, whilst the real guardians of land, nature and biodiversity remain sidelined and yet bear the brunt of climate change.

Looking Ahead: From Bonn to Belém

With COP30 set in Brazil, a major agricultural and biodiversity hotspot, the path to effective climate action runs through food systems. The Bonn Climate Change Conference 2025 must lay the foundation for a future where food and agriculture are at the heart of climate solutions.

World Animal Protection continues to lead global advocacy by engaging policymakers, raising public awareness, and collaborating with frontline communities.

Our message at SB62 is clear: to meet climate targets, we must end our reliance on industrial animal agriculture and build just, sustainable food systems for all.

Get in touch with our external affairs team