Animal Welfare Essential to Sustainable Development

On October 8, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) presented a talk on the need to include animal welfare as an essential element in the sustainable development agenda.  The speaker of the talks is Michael Baker, WSPA's Director General.  The most striking thing that I found in the video is the lack of an audience.  Did anyone else notice that the room was essentially bare?  Does this speak to the animal rights movements support or just an exhaustion with climate change related topics in the media?