College dining halls typically feature meat-heavy menus with a few vegetarian or vegan options, but Oxford students are hoping to change that. Students voted to ban lamb and beef from the majority of campus eateries with the goal of making the university more environmentally-friendly.
Three Oxford students motioned for the student union to ban lamb and meat from university-catered events and outlets with one exception of college butteries, which are the late-night cafes (who follow their own policies). “As the U.K’s premier university, the nation looks to Oxford for leadership. But Oxford has shown a lack of leadership in addressing climate change,” the motion read.
Two-thirds of the student union voted in favor of the ban, specifically 31 votes for, nine against and 13 abstentions. Oxford ultimately makes the last-call on whether or not to ban lamb and beef entirely, but the student union plans on pressuring the university and its faculty to follow through.
Lamb and beef have the highest CO2 compared to other protein sources
The students singled out lamb and beef specifically because both have the greatest environmental impact in comparison to other animal products. Lamb emits 39.2 kilograms of CO2 to produce one kilo (2.2 lbs) whereas beef has 27 kilograms CO2 per kilo, according to Business Insider.
By banning lamb and beef from campus eateries, the school would be getting closer to its target of cutting 5 percent of carbon emissions by 2030. “The banning of beef and lamb at university-catered events and outlets is a feasible and effective strategy to help the university meet its revised 2030 goal,” the motion explained.
