It’s not often that the Pope is offered a lesson in morality, but that is what the Million Dollar Vegan campaign is attempting to do.

After another successful Veganuary, environmental campaigners have offered $1 million to the charity of Pope Francis’ choice if he gives up animal products for lent. The campaign is backed by a host of benefactors and celebrities.

You’d have to be living under a rock (or doing a digital detox) to avoid the hype around Veganuary.

It's a yearly challenge that asks people to give up all animal-based products for 31 days, following the unbridled meat-fest of Christmas.

The charity says that record numbers started the New Year by signing up to the pledge this year, with over 250,000 people committing to going meat-free for January.

A diet that can avoid premature death and safeguard the Earth at the same time sounds too good to be true – but that’s exactly what experts are saying is possible with the ‘planetary health diet’.

Scientists, who have drawn up the diet as part of an international commission, say we’ll have to hugely shift away from meat consumption to more vegetables, fruit and legumes, which could prevent 11 million premature deaths per year by 2050, while also reducing some of the worst effects of climate change.

The meteoric rise of veganism isn’t exactly new news anymore. Between 2017 and 2018 participants in Veganuary (people pledging to go plant-based for the month of January) grew by 183%.

Since then, the animal-free movement has gone from strength to strength, with shops and restaurants rushing to offer more meat and dairy-free options than ever.