Pet Diets Are Quietly Contributing to Climate Change - but There's a Simple Fix21.5.2025 21:00:00 EEST | Press release
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM / ACCESS Newswire / May 21, 2025 / Feeding your dog or cat might be doing more damage to the planet than you think. A new study has revealed that conventional meat-based pet food carries a largely unrecognized environmental cost - contributing significantly to land use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and climate breakdown. The review, just published, found that pet food production is closely tied to the livestock industry, which is responsible for at least one-fifth of annual global GHG emissions. With the world's pet population now approaching one billion animals, the impacts are no longer minor. In the United States alone, dog and cat diets account for 25-30% of the environmental toll of livestock farming. One analysis even found that a single medium-sized dog's diet in Japan had a greater environmental footprint than the average Japanese person's diet. But experts say there's a powerful - and practical - solution. Stated Billy Nicholles, the lead author, "Swi