UK ‘varsity bans beef:
A London college said on Monday it has banned beef from its campus to combat climate change,
becoming the first higher education institution in Britain to do so.
From next month Goldsmiths, part of the University of London, will no longer sell beef anywhere on its campus. It will also introduce a small levy on bottled water and single-use plastics to discourage use.
“The growing global call for organisations to take seriously their responsibilities for halting climate change is impossible to ignore,” said Frances Corner, head of Goldsmiths.
Staff and students were “determined to
help deliver the step change we need to cut our carbon footprint drastically and as quickly as possible,” Corner said.
The college said it aimed to switch to clean energy and become carbon neutral – meaning it will produce no more carbon emissions than it can offset – by 2025.
Livestock farming is a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions, consumes a tenth of the world’s fresh water and causes large-scale deforestation, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. (RTRS)