The United Arab Emirates reportedly invited a whopping 400,000 people to the United Nations’ annual COP28 climate summit taking place in Dubai, which includes about 97,000 official delegates. Most of the VIP among them are traveling in private jets. With these figures, the COP28 will have the largest carbon footprint in the event’s history. Hypocritical? Of course, but that’s par for the course for the UN, as what’s on the menu for attendees is also making headlines.
Despite the UN’s Food & Agriculture Organization gearing up to release a road map during the summit calling on countries that "over-consume meat" to limit consumption due to greenhouse gas emissions concerns, there’s plenty available for attendees.
According to a new report, about a third of the food vendors at the conference offer meat.
In May, Sultan Al Jaber, the president-designate of COP28, said in a letter to activists that the summit would "ensure the availability of plant-based food options that are affordable, nutritious, and locally and regionally sourced, with clear emissions labeling." His letter came in response to repeated calls from the Food@COP climate activist group for the summit to cut back on meat options.
"We know that our food systems are intrinsically linked to the fate of our natural world, and so we have made the progressive decision to ensure that we explore how the catering provided across the event can be responsible and climate conscious, helping to echo the emphasis we have placed on the Emirates Declaration," Mariam Almheiri, the director of COP28's food system program, said in October.
Among the food options offered for attendees are The Hungry Hub, which offers beef and meat; Philly Jawn by Ghostburger, which offers burgers and Philly cheesesteaks; Swaggers, which offers smoked ribs and smoked wagyu burgers; and Mattar Farm Live Cooking, which serves "unbelievable smoked meats" and "melt-in-your-mouth BBQ." (Fox News Digital)
GOP Rep. Mike Flood, of Nebraska, a member of the Congressional Beef Caucus, said it’s just another example of the “hypocrisy of the global elites.”
"They’re the same ones who want working people to swear off flying at all while they get to travel to glitzy conferences on private jets to push a radical green agenda," he told Fox News Digital.
"COP28 putting meat on the menu just proves that we need beef and all kinds of meat to help feed the world," he added. "And that’s why I’ll keep fighting the U.N. and the global elites who are trying to kill meat production, which would only shatter the world’s food security and end an age-old way of life for millions of farmers and ranchers around the world."
It's not just conservatives upset over the hypocrisy.
Plant Based News sat down with Stella McCartney earlier this week at COP28.
— Plant Based News (@PlantBasedNews) December 7, 2023
Interview filmed and conducted by Klaus Mitchell.
Look out for the full interview, coming to PBN's YouTube soon.
Thanks to Pro Veg International for supporting our work at the event. pic.twitter.com/A6zFR2smgV