Cambridge, England – Students at the University of Cambridge dropped a banner in Selwyn College last night (4/3/25) during a formal hall. The banner read ‘MEAT + DAIRY = CLIMATE CRISIS’ and aimed to push for sustainable plant-based catering.

In 2023, the Cambridge Students’ Union voted to back 100% plant-based catering. The university’s Sustainable Food Initiative, CamEATS ZERO, also launched with a goal to boost plant-based meals in colleges.

Selwyn College has not joined CamEATS ZERO. In 2024, its leaders ended plant-based formal halls. A recent Climate League report ranked Selwyn as the worst-performing Cambridge college for sustainability.

During the dinner, students disrupted the event to protest Selwyn’s weak sustainability record. They called for fully plant-based menus to address the climate crisis.

Sam Hutton, an Environment Science student at Selwyn, attended the formal. He said, “It’s undeniable that something needs to change about our food system, and it’s shocking that Selwyn refuses to engage with even the bare minimum of policies.”

Selwyn’s senior leaders approved a sustainability policy but called it symbolic, students say. The Senior Tutor reportedly demanded meat at every meal, even at sustainability-themed dinners.

Other Cambridge colleges have made menus more sustainable. Institutions like Cambridge Zero have adopted 100% plant-based food policies. Imperial College London recently voted for a similar shift.

Professor Jason Scott-Warren from Gonville and Caius College said, “Colleges have a massive responsibility to align their catering with what they know about the environmental impact of meat and dairy.”

CamEATS ZERO, led by Baroness Sally Morgan and Professor Dame Theresa Marteau, listed plant-based catering as its top priority last year.

Professor Andrew Balmford, part of CamEATS ZERO, added, “Shifting to largely plant-based diets is critically important for mitigating the catastrophic consequences of climate change.”

Plant-Based Cambridge, part of a global student campaign, pushes for 100% plant-based catering at universities. The group, active in over 50 institutions, is backed by Animal Rising.

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