Government and Policy Advisers: Shaping Future-Ready Legislation
"The laws we enact today are the legacy we leave for tomorrow."
During WWII, Winston Churchill often spoke about the importance of making hard decisions not just for the present, but to safeguard the future.
His commitment to long-term stability and growth continues to inspire policymakers to consider how today’s choices impact tomorrow's world, reminding government leaders of the legacy they build with every decision.
Bridging Public Expectation and Economic Opportunity With Pragmatic Reform​
As government leaders and policymakers, you’re in a unique position to shape a legacy that aligns with today’s public expectations for transparency, sustainability, and humane treatment. Positive animal welfare law provides a powerful yet practical pathway for fulfilling these priorities. The Sentient Animal Law Foundation (SAL) supports policymakers striving for laws that not only fit modern society but also address pressing concerns around economic realities, environmental sustainability, and public trust.
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Animal welfare is no longer a niche topic. Instead, it has emerged as a core expectation within the broader “green economy” embraced by voters and trade partners alike. A post-COVID, well-informed public increasingly understands that animal welfare has direct implications for food safety, disease prevention, and community trust. Recent surveys reveal that 78.4% of voters express concern over animal welfare in food production, with 63% actively seeking labels confirming humane standards.
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By translating this modern concept of positive animal welfare into law, policymakers can support local industries, align with evolving public expectations, and strengthen trust within both public and trade relationships.
Aligning National Animal Welfare Laws with International Commitments to Sustainable Development Goals
For today’s governments, animal welfare offers an actionable way to demonstrate commitments to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including climate resilience, public health, and economic stability. SAL is the only organisation providing a clear, three-word law reform that delivers genuinely modern animal welfare law, built on the science of the Five Domains. This reform offers practical guidance for leaders ready to demonstrate tangible progress on sustainability objectives.
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Australia’s 1999 transition from anti-cruelty law to positive animal welfare legislation represented a significant first step toward these aims. Jurisdictions that have embraced positive welfare have not only shown forward-thinking policies but have also aligned with their constituents' values and trade partners' needs. Conversely, jurisdictions that missed these opportunities find themselves unable to fully meet these needs—a gap felt acutely in a policy area that updates only about once every 20 years.
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From a governance perspective, positive animal welfare law reform is timely and strategic, aligning with a shifting global market. Notably, 83% of Millennials say it’s essential that the organisations they support reflect their values — an expectation that extends to national policy.
Delivering Public Health and Safety
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of managing the interconnected health of people, animals, and the planet. Food safety, antimicrobial resistance, and biodiversity loss—areas directly affected by animal welfare—are crucial to ensuring systems resilience.
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While the precise origins of COVID-19 remain debated, the global response showed the necessity for up-to-date standards, sound science, and public trust. Positive animal welfare law, as SAL outlines, bolsters current safeguards and builds resilience within our health and food systems. With laws built on both ethical and scientific standards, SAL’s framework helps align policies with public demand and trade expectations, creating a foundation for a sustainable future.
Creating a Lasting Legacy by Evolving the Duty of Care
The duty of care is more than legal terminology—it’s the litmus test for real, meaningful change.
While ‘recognising’ animal sentience is a well-intended step forward, it’s observably not enough to move societal practices beyond a centuries old model of anticruelty law. Lasting reform requires a legislative definition as well to create an evolved duty of care, one that ensures animals experience well-being, not just an absence of harm.
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SAL’s Three-Word Law Reform extends traditional protections by embedding positive welfare into law. For policymakers, this approach offers a way to build laws that reflect scientific progress and align with society’s evolving values.
It’s a legacy that ensures today’s best practices set tomorrow’s standards.
A Doable, Done and Replicable Next Step
As a government leader or policy influencer, you have the opportunity to create a transformative legacy.
SAL invites you to explore our straightforward Three-Word Law Reform, which elevates animal welfare policy beyond baseline standards to meet public expectations.