18 Mar Norwich City Council Calls for UK Government to Support Global Plant-Based Treaty to Combat Climate Crisis
At a full council meeting held on Tuesday, 14th March, Norwich City Council demonstrated their environmental commitments by acknowledging the substantial environmental impact of meat and dairy production on climate breakdown, land use change and public health crises and calling on the UK government to enter a global Plant Based Treaty.
Norwich City Council is the third council in the UK to endorse the call for a Plant Based Treaty and joins 20 towns and cities worldwide including Edinburgh, Haywards Heath and Los Angeles.
The motion, which was introduced by Councillor Alex Catt and seconded by Councillor Jamie Osborn from the Green Party states:
“Producing a kilo of beef creates, on average, 12 times more CO2 than a kilo of tofu or other soya-based proteins. Meanwhile, producing a litre of dairy milk uses, on average, at least four times as much land as producing a litre of plant milk… As well as a smaller carbon footprint, eating more plant-based foods also reduces the land footprint of our diets and would improve UK food security and self-sufficiency, thereby making our diets more local.”
The council will now write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs supporting the UK’s endorsement of the Plant Based Treaty as a companion to the Paris Agreement. They will also write to Norfolk County Council to request a carbon impact assessment of meat and dairy industries across the county and ask what steps are being taken to reduce this in line with the target to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
During the lively 40-minute council debate, Councillor Catt said, “We can’t sit back and ignore the huge part that food systems play and the urgent need for institutional changes to eliminate the substantial contribution that food production plays in climate change and global deforestation… Agriculture, forestry and land use contribute a much higher percentage of global emissions than all of transport combined. Transport may be a sector that receives a lot of attention, but the food we eat is actually the secret emitter in all of this and we are running out of time to take action.”
The motion, which Labour Councillor Oliver amended, included measures to improve accessibility and availability of plant-based food across the city, including:
Ensuring all food and drink provided at meetings and events hosted by the city council include plant-based food options, and where possible, is provided by a local caterer paying the Real Living Wage and sourcing sustainable local ingredients.
Using Norwich City Council civic events to promote and showcase plant-based food and drink options, information displays about the climate and health benefits and relative cost of different protein/food sources and informing people about how to achieve a balanced plant-based diet.
Ensuring events on City Council open spaces include environmentally friendly plant-based options secured through the use of terms and conditions of hire.
When re-tendering for suppliers for council-run cafes, kiosks or leisure centres, specify that vegetable/legume-rich plant-based options are available.
Working with community groups across the city to continue to promote the establishment of new and appropriate community gardens as part of the biodiversity strategy.
Recognising Norwich as a city with businesses leading the way in the provision of plant-based foods and drinks by engaging with Norwich BID and the Norwich Market Traders’ Association to investigate the opportunities to promote the benefits of plant-based foods, appropriately and respectfully give people information about the best ways to achieve a balanced plant-based diet.
Nicola Harris, Plant Based Treaty campaigner, said, “It is promising to see the council commit to providing increased accessibility to plant-based foods through council-run cafes, kiosks, leisure centres and community gardens. Institutions have a key role in shifting the nation towards climate-friendly plant-based diets. Momentum for plant-based food solutions to the climate emergency is growing, with Norwich becoming the third council to call on the UK government to endorse the Plant Based Treaty.”
