Respond to Defra's consultation on banning CO₂ slaughter for pigs

Why it's urgent

According to CIWF, the consultation closes on 21 December 2026, so responses need to be sent before then. The closing date has not been checked against Defra's own consultation page.

The strategy

Consultation responses are typically read and counted as evidence on the question, so each one adds to the public case for a ban. One person's response is a small addition on its own, but the total number of responses is what CIWF is asking people to build.

Why it scored 83

Scale: Huge

About 10 million UK pigs a year ('nearly 10 million'), per CIWF's campaign page, which falls in the 1 to 10 million band.

Severity: Extreme

CIWF describes panic, breathlessness and pain in the gas before unconsciousness, which can take up to 60 seconds, so a ban would end intense distress for each animal.

Chance of success: Plausible

The Government has opened a consultation and the Animal Welfare Committee recommended moving to better alternatives, but the outcome is unknown and the claim that a ban is 'in sight' is CIWF's own framing.

Your difference: Large

Each consultation response is counted, so a single written response adds directly to the evidence Defra reviews.