Save Planet! Know How This Initiative Helps Institutions Reduce Their Food-Related Environmental Footprint

Meat and dairy products are one of the most significant reasons for greenhouse gas emissions and are resource-intensive regarding land and water usage. With India being one of the top five most vulnerable countries to climate change, the institutions in the country need to reduce food-related emissions.

Green Tuesday Initiative is a campaign by Vegan Outreach to help institutions reduce their environmental footprint by replacing meat and dairy products with plant-based food options in their cafeterias at least once a week. So far, about 33 institutions in India have collaborated with this scheme.

It aligns with seven of the United Nations' sustainability goals. While sharing the information with The Logical Indian, the nonprofit organisation said, "It only takes one meal per week to reduce your carbon footprint by at least five times. Imagine doing this in all of the world's workplaces and educational institutions. Consider how much greenhouse gas emissions we can reduce collectively by replacing animal-based foods with plant-based foods once a week."

Green Tuesday Initiative's Impact

After collaborating with around 33 institutions in India, Green Tuesday Initiative now aims to help them reduce their environmental footprint. The initiative urges institutions to replace meat and dairy products with plant-based alternatives weekly. So far, various organisations have reduced serving to 2.2 million pounds of animal products to decrease their food-related carbon footprint.

Green Tuesday Initiative partners in India comprise educational institutions and companies. Some notable names include Tech Mahindra, Carl Zeiss, Hetero drugs, REVA University, Gautham Buddha University, and Lovely Professional University.

Serving Climate-Friendly Food

According to the BBC's climate change food calculator, 1-2 servings of chicken contributes to 106 kgs of greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, the same amount of beans contributes to 7 kgs, and peas contribute to 1.4 kgs of greenhouse emissions, respectively. The comparison shows how much greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by shifting to plant-based food products.

The campaigns specialist from Vegan Outreach India, Soundarya Ganesan, while mentioning why the initiative is so important and the need of the hour, said, "choosing to serve climate-friendly food would be the first step in raising awareness about the impact of food on the planet and people's health."

The purpose-driven nonprofit organisation added that fighting climate change is not one person's task but a collective effort of millions of people trying to save the planet. Serving plant-based food at least once a week is operationally easy with a huge impact. Green Tuesday Initiative also aims to work with more educational institutions and companies in India and other countries across Asia.

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