Camden Council Shows Climate Leadership by Supporting Transition to 100% Plant-Based Food Provision

Plant-Based Councils
Jul 15
3 min read

Plant-Based Councils’ Camden team and supporters outside Camden Townhall, 14.07.2025

On 14/07/2025, Camden Council’s Culture And Environment Scrutiny Committee presented a report that supported the transition to 100% plant-based food catering for all internal council-run events and meetings.
The council had commissioned a report that concluded that transitioning to 100% plant-based catering is in line with their Food Mission and would “improve both the nutritional quality and sustainability of the food purchased” [1].
This is a historic win for climate action, public health, and the community. This decision follows a sustained campaign by local grassroots activists from Plant-Based Councils asking the council to align its food policy with its climate commitments.
This marks Camden as the third London borough to take this transformative step to move towards plant-based catering, after Lewisham and Hackney [4-5]. Councils around the country, including Oxfordshire County Council, Calderdale and Exeter City Council, have already committed to 100% plant-based internal catering as a response to the climate crisis [6-8].

The ‘Update on the Plant-Based Councils Movement’ report was released by Camden Council yesterday, 14/07/2025 [1]. This report updates the Culture and Environment Scrutiny Committee on the progress being made towards improving the sustainability of the food provided to staff by Camden Council - through decreasing meat consumption and increasing the number of plants eaten.

The policy will be incorporated into Camden Councils Food Buying Standards which were developed through a cross council working group and are being presented for final approval this summer.

Once implemented, only plant-based food will be served at council-catered functions, a policy that reflects the urgent need to address the environmental impacts of food systems and create a healthier, more inclusive future. [1-2]

Kush Naker presenting a deputation to Camden Council, 14.07.2025

Kush Naker, a medical doctor who lives and works in the area and is a leading member of the Camden Plant-Based Councils campaign, said:

“This is a huge moment, not just for Camden, but for climate action in the UK. We’re thrilled that our council has listened to the science and the local community and shown real leadership. This policy isn’t about telling individuals what to eat. It’s about ensuring that our public institutions reflect the urgent need to shift toward sustainable, inclusive, and compassionate food systems.”

The campaign has emphasised the multiple benefits of the change:

Climate and Environmental Impact: The animal agriculture industry is a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and biodiversity loss [2-3].
Public Health: Plant-based diets are supported by health professionals as a way to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses [9,10].
Inclusivity: Plant-based food is suitable for people of all religious, cultural, and dietary backgrounds.
Cost Efficiency: A healthy and sustainable plant-based diet would be 20-33% cheaper that current diets in the UK [11].

The campaign now hopes Camden’s bold move will inspire other councils across London and the London Assembly to follow suit. As the capital of the UK, London should lead the way for others to do the same.

The councillors also expressed support for the Plants First Healthcare campaign and committed to writing to local hospitals and healthcare providers, encouraging them to deliver “plant based by default” catering to patients and visitors at their sites [12].