‘If we shift away from eating meat and dairy and move towards a plant based diet, we could free up an area the size of the United States, China, EU and Australia combined. Space that could be given back to nature.’ - David Attenborough

Shrewsbury town council pledged to be carbon neutral by 2030

One of the biggest changes we can make to reduce our carbon footprint, and our impact on the natural world, is switching to a more plant-based diet. 

This is backed up by the UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC), which recommends a 20% reduction in meat and dairy by 2030 and a  35% reduction for meat by 2050. The CCC also advises societal level shifts through new approaches in public sector settings such as schools and hospitals.

The council needs to lead the way on this urgent issue by going plant-based at its meetings and supporting local vegetable farmers, and plant-based businesses who are encouraging change. 

This will promote the switch to plant-based diets, something which is beneficial for health (and by extension reduces strain on NHS), the natural world, and the climate crisis.

We are calling the council to:

• Ensure food and drink provided at all internal meetings and events is 100% plant-based, prioritising seasonal British produce to support our farmers.
• Prioritise plant-based menu options wherever else the council has influence, for example in leisure centres, public cafes, and schools.
• Promote and encourage plant-based eating to residents and removing meat and dairy advertising where the council has an influence

Doing this will help the council reach its climate and nature targets and encourage a wider shift in Shrewsbury about how much meat and dairy we eat. The benefits are huge - one study shows the NHS could save £6.7 billion a year if more people ate more plant based meals.