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Why this action matters
Backed by researchReplacing high-impact meat and dairy products with plant-based alternatives reduces greenhouse gas emissions and land use, as evidenced by studies showing vegetarian and vegan diets can lower GHGE by up to 83% and reduce land use by 70–79% compared to omnivorous diets. This shift supports healthier dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with lower environmental impacts and improved human health outcomes.
Concept connections
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What this action would change
Backed by researchThe action itself
The council adopts a phased approach to remove beef and lamb from its catering menus, with an initial target of reducing their presence by 50% within two years and full elimination by the end of a five-year period.
What it would change in the UK
In the UK, removing beef and lamb from public catering could reduce food-system greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70%, as these meats account for the majority of emissions. This shift may also improve public health by reducing the consumption of saturated fats linked to cardiovascular disease.
What it would change worldwide
Globally, the UK's institutional removal of beef and lamb would reduce demand for meats most closely associated with deforestation, biodiversity loss, and methane emissions, contributing to broader efforts to mitigate climate change and protect ecosystems.
Where national politics stands
Nothing recorded yetThe research behind it
Published research about food and farming as a whole, not this action in particular
We are holding this summary back until we have checked it
This summary was written before we started checking summaries against the papers they cite, so it has not been checked.
Research and reports on this action
Food Supply
UK Health Security Agency - HECC · 2023
Open the full report to read the findings ↗
“There is a strong relationship between the amount of animal-based foods in a diet and its environmental impact, including GHG emissions, land use, water use, eutrophication and biodiversity. Dietary shifts away from animal-based foods can make a substantial contribution to reduction of the UK environmental footprint. Uncertainty due to region of origin and methods of food production do not obscure these differences between diet groups and should not be a barrier to policy action aimed at reducing animal-based food consumption.”
Vegans, vegetarians, fish-eaters and meat-eaters in the UK show discrepant environmental impacts
Nature Food · 2023
Research that argues the other way
We are holding this summary back until we have checked it
This summary was written before we started checking summaries against the papers they cite, so it has not been checked.