After Cambridge, Oxford university bans use of beef/lamb as it is one of the largest contributors to climate change

The Oxford Student Union passed a motion by a two-thirds majority at the weekly student council. Two-thirds of voters were needed to back the motion for a ban on beef and lamb in university catering services. Now, the union executives will lobby bosses to bring in the beef ban on the university campus.

The Oxford Student quoted Agatha Edevane, one of the students who drafted the motion, as saying that ‘substituting beef and lamb produce is probably the single most impactful change the authorities can encourage in behaviour at the university to reduce our collective impact on climate change.’

“Regardless of its origin, food consumption based on animal farming is responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions which can be substantially reduced by plant-based diets. I hope that Oxford can join other thought-leaders in influencing through this important change and demonstrate that tackling climate change is something we are all involved in. Alternative food offerings can also be sourced from local enterprises and can therefore contribute to the local economy.” she added.

A number of prominent universities in the UK have opted for veganism in a bid to combat the environmental impact of the meat industry.

The students behind the motion hope that it will help reduce Oxford University’s greenhouse emissions after the university admitted that it has missed its 2021 carbon emissions goal.

According to the Oxford Student Union, Cambridge reported a 33 per cent reduction in carbon emissions per kilogram of food purchased.

‘A change at the university level will open the gates for similar change at the college level. ‘The university has a commitment to anti-racism, and this requires urgent action to minimize greenhouse emissions.’