Sheffield University catering could be going 100% plant-based if the Plant Based Universities campaign gets their motion passed. 

The Plant Based Universities campaign has called for the University of Sheffield to switch to 100% plant-based catering as they say this will help our current climate crisis. 

Iris Goulding, a member of the campaign at the University of Sheffield, has said that this climate crisis is ‘one of the most urgent things in our lifetime’, and that even though it may not be affecting our country in a really visible way, it is still affecting other people around the world. 

The Earth’s average surface temperature has increased by about 1.1 degrees celsius since 1850, and global temperatures are only expected to rise further. 

Kitty Flynn, another member of the campaign, said: “People can get really disconnected from the climate crisis.”

Their campaign asks for institutional change, as they believe it is essential for protecting the future of our planet. This switch further has the potential to save roughly £1,397,072 annually for the university. 

Ms Goulding further said: “By asking institutions to take more responsibility, it takes the responsibility away from the individual.” Arguing that through the university making vegan meals more accessible, it is less effort for students to follow a plant-based diet. 

Through more people adhering to veganism, there will be less need for animal agriculture. 

This is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, as cows are responsible for around 40% of global methane gas emissions, which contribute massively to global warming. 

Plant-based diets can help mitigate climate change due to requiring less land, water and energy to produce, and through switching to entirely plant-based catering,it will help the university to reach their goal of becoming a net-zero campus by 2030. 

The campaign wants to work with both staff and students to ensure that this switch is affordable and inclusive, and their ultimate goal is to secure sustainable catering at the University of Sheffield.

Their petition can be found at the link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfgQzYL4aXK5c52SNyWGs5yZ-WNeMgdOG94awmkdUiUz1gELA/viewform?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZCbdQWmrOINgwhjGHHapR0PZHYC2CKJloLPbfULb_eyRSQJf7BHBpFWLI_aem_VS_y8vyxjXLetmzBlX1t6w