'Downsize your dog' to tackle climate change
A Poole councillor claims pets have a much bigger impact on climate change than people want to admit
Last updated 13th Jan 2022
Pet owners might consider downsizing their dogs to help tackle climate change, according to councillor Mark Howell.
Mr Howell, an independent in Poole, said the issue of the impact of pets on climate change had become the "elephant in the room" nobody was prepared to address.
However, it needed to be tackled because pet ownership has an impact on climate change.
Speaking at overview and scrutiny meeting which was looking at the evolving Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council climate change strategy, Mr Howell said:
"In this nation, especially over covid, there has been a massive increase in pets that people have…does the portfolio holder think we can meet the target without addressing the issue of the carbon footprint and the methane of pets?"
He said that half of the adults in the UK now owned pets and whether or not people were prepared to admit it they did have an impact on climate change and the ecology.
Portfolio holder Councillor Mike Greene agreed there were "elements of emissions" which weren't considered in the council's draft climate change policy but said it would be looked at if and when more information came forward.
Mr Howell told the meeting that the average dog produces double the annual electricity carbon emissions for the average UK household.
He added that was before other environmental costs relating to pets were considered, including unsustainable cat litter and plastic bags associated with pet products, much of which ended up in landfill.
"It is a big problem which I feel should be represented in the 2050 analysis of carbon emissions," he said, referring to the target for the whole area to be carbon neutral by that date.
He asked for the impact of pets to be considered in the local climate action plan, along with other elements of tackling climate change.
"Perhaps there is an issue over the size of pets. You don’t have to have an enormous dog; you can have a smaller dog. A cat is more efficient in some respects, but cats cause enormous biodiversity problems," he said.
"The reality is a lot of people use these animals for emotional support rather than looking to their communities and other people…it won’t be popular, but it needs to be addressed."