Plant-Based Council campaigners holding a banner in front of the Bristol City Council building 12/11/24.
At the 12/11/24 Full Council meeting, Bristol resident Michaela Andrews and supporters of the Plant-Based Councils campaign presented Bristol City Council with a petition of close to 500 signatures requesting the council enact a policy to serve 100% plant-based food at internal meetings and events [1] [2].
Campaigners stated that enacting the policy would show the council is taking steps to combat the climate crisis, thereby truly reflecting the “climate emergency” they declared in 2018 [3].
Pressure builds for Bristol City Council as the last statement presented by a Plant-Based Councils campaigner (James Jones at the Public Health and Communities policy committee meeting on Friday 11/10/24) featured on BBC Points West [4].
Bristol resident Michaela Andrews attended Bristol City Council’s Full Council meeting on Tuesday 12/11/24 to read a statement and present a petition asking the council to transition to 100% plant-based catering for internal meetings. In her presentation to the council, Michaela said:
“This is a change we have been asking the council to make for three years now. We have received support from several committee meetings and we have collected close to 500 public signatures from other residents who want this change to happen…
…Please treat this matter with the urgency it requires. Bristol was the first council to declare a climate emergency, and the science is crystal clear that a plant-based food system is an absolutely vital part of the solution to climate change. So why are we still behind 10 other progressive councils that have already made the switch to plant-based catering?”
Bristol Resident Michaela Andrews presents the petition at the Full Council meeting on Tuesday 12/11/24.
In the time the campaigners have been trying to get Bristol to go plant-based in their catering, 10 other progressive UK councils have already made this change [5]. In September, Nottingham City Council announced it will only serve plant-based food and drink at internal meetings [6]. Prior to this, in July, Calderdale Council voted to switch to 100% plant-based catering as a result of lobbying from local Plant-Based Councils campaigners [7]. Bristol City Council is yet to follow suit.
Bristol residents are hopeful that the petition (which garnered 469 signatures) presented to the council this Tuesday will not only show the urgency for a transition to 100% plant-based catering, but also show that people living in Bristol want this transition to happen.
Two Plant-Based Council campaigners interacting with members of the Public on Corn Street, Bristol.
Over recent months, volunteers of the Plant-Based Councils campaign have not only collected support on the streets from the members of the public, but also collected support from prominent members of both local and national government, including Green Councillor Martin Fodor (Bristol’s Environment and Sustainability policy committee chair), Lord Mayor Andrew Varney, and Green Party Co-Leader and Bristol Central MP Carla Denyer. They’ve spoken at multiple committee meetings in recent months and their last appearance at the Public Health Committee meeting was reported on BBC Points West.
The campaigners outside the Public Health Committee meeting in September.
The science backing this transition is clear. Last July, a new study was published by Oxford University researchers which found that a plant-based diet has 70% less environmental impact than a high-meat diet; a high-meat diet produces four-times the amount of greenhouse gases, requires four-times as much land, and double the amount of water [8].
The government-commissioned National Food Strategy (2021) led by Henry Dimbleby recommends that, in order to improve the health and sustainability of our food system, a new reference diet should be developed - focused on wholegrains, fruit, vegetables and pulses - and that public-sector catering should follow this diet [9].
Plant-Based Councils, an Animal Rising campaign, is a national initiative of local residents who are pushing for their councils to adopt 100% plant-based catering. The campaign is active in over 40 councils, with the group encouraging interested residents to sign up to run a local campaign on their website - www.plantbasedcouncils.org/join.
ENDS.
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For more information or further comments, please contact press@plantbasedcouncils.org
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] The Plant-Based Councils campaign aims to address the climate emergency, starting with the food on our plates; working with UK councils to encourage the switch from emission-heavy food to plant-based options which are better for our health, the planet, and reducing the impact of the cost of living crisis. www.plantbasedcouncils.org
[2] Bristol City Council, Full Council meeting, 12th November 2024: agenda, public forum document, video link of spoken statement
[4] BBC News Bristol article featuring campaigner James Jones presenting a statement at the Public Health and Communities committee meeting 11th October 2024
[6] Nottingham City Council votes to serve 100% plant-based food at catered meetings: Nottingham City Council switches to plant-based catering - BBC News
[7] BBC News article Calderdale Council to serve only vegan food at future events
[8] Study into the environmental impact of various diets, Oxford University, published July 2023: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-023-00795-w
[9] Review of National Food Strategy: https://www.nationalfoodstrategy.org/
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