THE FACTS: Social media users are claiming two major cities in the Lone Star State are planning to get their residents to stop eating meat and dairy products within seven years.
“Austin and Houston to eliminate meat and dairy consumption by 2030?,” reads the screenshot, which also includes an image of a city skyline. “Both Austin and Houston are part of ‘C40 Cities,’ an alliance of mayors seeking to impact climate change and ‘cut their emissions in half by 2030’.” But neither Austin nor Houston is planning such a ban and the C40 Cities alliance doesn’t advocate for restrictions on the consumption of meat and dairy, despite what the posts claim.
Shannon Stewart, a spokesperson for Austin’s Office of Sustainability, which has been looking at ways for the Texas capital to address climate change, similarly dismissed the claims as misinformation.Stewart acknowledged that food consumption is one of the focus areas ofsimply calls for prioritizing “regenerative agriculture,” promoting plant-based foods and minimizing food waste, among other things. There’s no mention of banning meat or dairy.