At Student Union meetings yesterday (4/2/25) students at both the University of Bristol and Imperial College London voted to support the transition towards sustainable plant-based menus [1].
Both universities join the likes of Cambridge, Newcastle, Lancaster, and University College London in moving towards climate-friendly catering on campus [2]. To date, 13 universities across the UK, Netherlands, and Austria have seen their students back moves towards 100% plant-based menus.
Yesterday’s votes have been heralded as “a huge step forward” by Plant-Based Universities, the group has called on other universities to follow this lead and make similar changes.
In a landmark pair of votes, students at the prestigious universities of Bristol and Imperial College London have thrown their support behind greater access to sustainable plant-based catering on campus. This follows years of campaigning at both institutions by students who have been calling on the universities to show true climate leadership.
Hollie Meyers, a 4th-year Medicine student at Imperial College London said:
“We are overjoyed to see our fellow students join calls for Imperial to show that it takes the climate crisis seriously and begin the move toward cheap, nutritious, and delicious plant-based menus. Animal farming and fishing are wrecking the planet and the lives of millions across the globe and now is the time to take a definitive step towards a plant-based future.
Top climate scientists from our university have already endorsed our campaign - many from the Grantham Institute - and this vote sends a clear signal to society that the time for positive change is now.”
The Plant-Based Universities campaign has received backing from hundreds of scientists and high-profile public figures including Chris Packham, Dale Vince, Etienne Stott, George Monbiot, and Dr Hannah Ritchie [3]. Dozens of academics from both Bristol and Imperial College London signed an open letter released in late 2023 in support of 100% plant-based university catering.
With a majority of Gen Z either meat-free or planning to be within a year, it is clear that younger generations are leading the way when it comes to compassionate and environmentally-conscious living [4]. Plant-Based Universities has called on educational institutions to take their climate research seriously and make the wholesale shift on a campus-wide level - making the most sustainable choice the easiest.
Agnes Sales, a 2nd-year Philosophy & Theology student at the University of Bristol said:
“After last year’s motion failed, it’s amazing to see the shift in support from our student community towards our campaign. It’s clear that students are willing to vote for no-nonsense climate solutions and set an example for the rest of the country to follow.
We’ve seen a winter of storms and flooding that was made much more likely by climate breakdown. I don’t want to graduate into a world where that is commonplace for the rest of my life; that’s why transitioning to a plant-based food system is so important.
With institutions like Oxford and Harvard releasing data-backed research on the benefits of the move - it’s about time Bristol took action too.”
According to a 2019 Harvard study, animal farming is the single largest user of land in the UK. The same study stated that better use of this land could make the UK carbon-negative [5]. A 2018 University of Oxford study also stated that 76% of global farmland would be freed up for other uses if a plant-based food system was adopted worldwide [6].
Plant-Based Universities are an international network of students who are campaigning for their universities and student unions to adopt 100% plant-based catering [7]. The group believes that universities should follow the scientific research that they produce on the environmental impacts of animal farming and fishing. The campaign is active in over 50 institutions, with the group encouraging interested students to sign up to run local campaigns. The campaign is supported by Animal Rising.
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Notes To Editors:
[1] Confirmation of results can be obtained via bristolsu-democracy@bristol.ac.uk (Bristol), with the motion text being available at https://www.bristolsu.org.uk/support-centre/su-democracy/democratic-events and union@imperial.ac.uk (Imperial College London.)
At Imperial College London, the motion will see the Students’ Union officially endorse the Plant-Based Universities campaign whilst expanding its own food offering gradually towards 100% plant-based. This will begin with 50% by 2027/28 and 10% increases yearly thereafter.
Both motions note the need to ensure low-cost options, consultation with impacted groups regarding accessibility, and invest in nutritious and delicious menus.
[2] Details of all of these can be found at https://www.plantbaseduniversities.org/blog