Moo-ving sculpture appears at Southbank highlighting impact of dairy production

Ahead of the 50th World Environment Day on 5th June, a herd of striking cow sculptures have been unveiled across the UK as a stark reminder of the impact of intensive dairy production on the planet.

The Herding The Planet display, which has been commissioned by Flora Plant, a plant-based alternative to dairy butter and designed by zero-waste artist Ptolemy Elrington, features three life-size cows each made from reclaimed and recycled materials representing fast fashion, cars and water usage – three things Brits demonstrated in new research that they are more willing to cut back on than dairy in order to reduce their environmental impact.

The study revealed that Brits are 2.5x more likely to cut back on driving, twice as likely to use less water, and 1.5x more likely to buy fewer new clothes to minimise their environmental impact, than reduce their dairy intake. Whilst food & drink is the largest contributor to individual’s Greenhouse Gas Footprint, producing a quarter of total emissions per year, the average UK adult listed dairy production as only seventh in a survey of the largest climate offenders. Flora Plant’s Herding The Planet sculptures aim to highlight the impact of intensive dairy farming as part of the everyday climate conversation and highlight the simple switch – to plant- based alternatives – that people can make to reduce dairy-based emissions.

The sculptures are located in Aberdeen and Newcastle – the two cities which consume the most dairy butter weekly (more than 8 times a week) – and the UK capital where Londoners eat it at least once a day.

The campaign comes as research from Flora Plant, which has 75% less climate impact than dairy butter, shows that nearly a third (29%) of Brits would not consider making changes to their diets for the sake of the planet, despite two thirds (65%) showing concern about the environmental impact of food production.

The study reveals there is still much work to be done to educate on the key climate offenders and how individuals can make a difference, with a shocking 1 in 6 Brits revealing they don’t know what a carbon footprint is, and 1 in 8 believing dairy production positively impacts the environment.
The Herding The Planet display brings to life how making an easy switch to plant-based alternatives can be as impactful as cutting back on other lifestyle choices such as driving and clothes shopping. It is revealed that switching from 1 kg of dairy butter to Flora Plant could save:
At least 12.2 kg of CO2-eq – the same amount as driving a car from London to Reading (60 km) and producing four cotton t-shirts
At least 74.4 litres of water – the equivalent of keeping a tap running for 6 minutes
Perran Harvey, Flora Plant’s Senior Global Sustainability Lead, says: “Given our research shows 63% of people believe more needs to be done to raise awareness of the impact dairy production has on the environment, we are here to show people there is a really easy way to reduce your environmental impact, which tastes just as good and is just as easy as turning off your taps.

“We’ve got no issues with dairy cows, we love cows! But the hard truth is that industrial animal agriculture is harmful to our planet. Livestock farming is responsible for at least 14.5% of the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions and therefore we urgently need to reduce the world’s overreliance on dairy, in order to tackle climate change.”

The herd of cow sculptures were unveiled this morning at Riverside Grass on London’s Southbank, Newcastle’s Northumberland Street and Aberdeen’s Hazlehead Park where they’ll be until 1st June 2023 with additional information on how dairy butter-loving locals can reduce their dairy-based emissions.

Zero-waste artist Ptolemy Elrington commented: “23 years ago I decided that my sculptures would be exclusively made of recycled and secondhand materials, as I wanted to use art as a vehicle to get people to consider their ethical and environmental responsibilities. Right now, the most pressing global issue is climate change, therefore it is all of our responsibilities to make people sit up and listen to the ways they can make a difference, by using art as well as news and action. I am proud to team up with Flora Plant on their purpose to create a better planet for us and the next generations to live, breathe and prosper in.”

Made from 100% plant-based, natural ingredients, Flora Plant has the same rich and creamy flavour as dairy butter – which is good news for nearly half of the nation (46%) who said they would make the switch to a plant-based alternative if the taste was the same.

Flora Plant is encouraging people to ‘Skip The Cow’ and make small changes that have a big impact. By using the Climate Calculator on the Flora Plant website, consumers can see the climate impact savings of their dairy reduction, making the switch to a plant-based alternative at home as simple, and effective, as turning off a tap.

UK’s Top 10 Actions Taken To Reduce Environmental Impact

Turn off lights at home (56%)
Use reusable coffee cups and water bottles (48%)
Turn off all plug sockets at home when not in use (47%)
Walk more (46%)
Use less water at home (37%)
Eat less meat (32%)
Buy second hand clothing (27%)
Take less flights (23%)
Take public transport instead of driving (21%)
Buy second hand furniture (18%) and Eat less dairy (18%)