New Delhi, Jun 22 (PTI) Citing Chinas plan to cut its meat consumption by 50 per cent, animal rights body PETA today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take similar steps to pave the way for sustainable environment in India.

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said they were pleased to see that opposition to the "pink revolution" featured significantly in Modis election campaign and admired his focus on protecting cows.

They said cutting down meat consumption will save animal lives, reduce heart ailments and certain types of cancer, besides helping avoid the effects of climate change.

PETA India CEO PoorvaJoshipura said in her letter to the Prime Minister that the Chinese government plans to reduce its citizens meat consumption by 50 per cent.

"If the plan is followed, carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from Chinas livestock industry would be reduced by 1bn tonnes by 2030, from a projected 1.8bn tonnes in that year," she said.

"We are writing to urge you to take a cue from our neighboring country by promoting vegan eating among the Indian public as a government initiative and to set a significant goal, as China has, for cutting the consumption of animal-derived foods in India," she said.

She said cutting consumption of greenhouse gas?intensive meat and dairy foods is a crucial step towards ensuring a better future for coming generations.

"PETA is calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take concrete steps such as issuing government health recommendations in favour of a vegan diet and encouraging the development and sale of plant-based foods in order to reduce the negative effects of climate change," Joshipura said.

PETA said Indias economy is predicted to be among the most heavily impacted by climate change by 2025 and the annual cost of environmental degradation already amounts to 5.7 per cent of the GDP.

Numerous studies have shown a strong correlation between animal-derived foods and climate change, with meat-eaters responsible for almost 2.5 times diet-related greenhouse-gas emissions per day compared to vegans, it said.

PETA India said the UN has concluded that a global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, resource poverty and the worst impacts of climate change. (MORE) PTI HVJ ARS TDS TIR RT TIR