Help the University of Southampton reach Net Zero

Petition for a Plant-Based Southampton Animal agriculture is responsible for 14.5-18% of greenhouse emissions [1]; approximately the same amount of emissions as that from all forms of transport combined. This is principally from the by-products and resources required to sustain the lives of the 92.2 billion farm animals that are slaughtered each year [2]; presenting an ethical and environmental dilemma.  It has been found that if we immediately stopped burning fossil fuels, we would still not prevent global warming because of the sheer amount of greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture [3]. It is simply not enough to transition away from fossil fuels, we must also transition to a plant-based food system. If we did so, agricultural greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by between 84 and 86 percent [4]. Also, 76% percent of farmland would be freed up [5] and we could use this land to replant forests. This stark 76% statistic is due to the extreme inefficiency of animal farming. For example, a gram of protein from beef or lamb requires almost 100 times the amount of land needed to produce a gram of protein from peas or tofu [5]. Animal agriculture is also responsible for a huge number of ecological crises, including ocean dead zones and river pollution. Massive areas of the Amazon rainforest have been wiped out to make way for growing soy, the vast majority of which (about 75%) is used for animal feed [6]. This is threatening the survival of species and the reduction in forested areas means there is less capture of CO2. University catering recognises the detrimental effect of growing soy and are limiting their number of soy products to less than 30%, yet continue to sell animal products. It is commonly accepted that we must transition away from fossil fuels if we are to stop global warming. However, the science is now completely clear: Transitioning completely away from fossil fuels will not be enough, we must also transition completely away from animal agriculture and towards a plant-based food system.  100% plant-based transitions have already begun at 11 universities across the UK, including Cambridge and UCL. The University of Southampton must follow this and lead the way for the change that must happen if we are to prevent the catastrophic consequences of climate change and move towards a better, kinder and safer world. Hence, we, the undersigned, call on the University of Southampton to begin the transition towards 100% plant-based catering at university restaurants and catering facilities, starting with 60% plant-based catering by 2027/28, and then increasing by 10% each year until the transition is complete. We also call on the Student’s Union to continue the transition to 100% plant-based catering following their plant-based by default motion passed in February 2026. [1] Sejian, V. et al. (2015). Global Warming: Role of Livestock. In: Sejian, V., Gaughan, J., Baumgard, L., Prasad, C. (eds) Climate Change Impact on Livestock: Adaptation and Mitigation. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2265-1_10 [2] Humane Society, 2023 (using data from Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations). [3] Michael A. Clark et al., Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5° and 2°C climate change targets. Science370,705-708(2020). DOI:10.1126/science.aba7357 [4] Springmann, M., Van Dingenen, R., Vandyck, T. et al. The global and regional air quality impacts of dietary change. Nat Commun 14, 6227 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41789-3 [5] J. Poore, T. Nemecek, Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers.Science360,987-992(2018).DOI:10.1126/science.aaq0216 [6] Soy: food, feed, and land use change. TableDebates.org, 2020.