Nottingham City Council Announces Plans To Go Plant-Based

Nottingham City Council has just voted to serve solely plant-based food and drink at internal meetings, becoming the ninth UK council to do so.

After a year-long campaign from Plant-Based Councils, council staff announced the change in a meeting on Monday (September 9). The new rule will be implemented at the end of this month. Sam Lux, the council’s executive member for carbon reduction, leisure, and culture, said that the move will include “plant-based milks, biscuits, and other foods.” The council is also planning to do a week of promotion of dairy-free milks in October. “This obviously is to encourage our employees to try these alternatives and to actually increase their uptake,” Lux said.

Ilana Parrwood, a local supporter who ran a Plant-Based Councils stall at Nottingham Green Festival last weekend, described the news as a “fantastic announcement.”

“It’s widely accepted now that plant-based food and drinks bring so many benefits, particularly around helping our wildlife via emissions reductions and land-use improvements, so it’s great to see Nottingham City Council leading by example,” she added. “We look forward to continued dialogue with the council to build further on this success.”

UK councils go plant-based

An aerial view of Nottingham City in the UK — Tracey Whitefoot / Alamy Stock Photo Nottingham City Council will serve only vegan food at internal events

Plant-Based Councils states that promoting healthy plant-based food is a “logical and necessary step” for councils amid the climate crisis.

The news about Nottingham City comes as a growing number of UK councils debate going plant-based across the UK. Eight already have voted in favor of doing so, including Oxford County, Oxford City, Calderdale Council in West Yorkshire, and Cambridge.

In July of this year, farmers protested in response to North Devon District Council debating the prospect of serving only plant-based food. The motion wasn’t passed, and the council still serves animal products.

“It’s disappointing to see councilors bow to the status quo instead of acknowledging the scientific consensus,” said Plant Based Councils campaigner Michaela Andrews in a statement at the time. “We’re in a climate and ecological emergency, and this motion showed bold climate leadership.”