In 2021, a University of Victoria Climate Challenge produced the DefaultVeg Initiative Report from Holly Cecil and Nicole Fetterly of the Faculty of Law https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/assets/docs/default-veg_report_2021.pdf. You can also view this document under “Innovation” in the Menu Bar.
In 2022, University of Victoria committed to a Climate and Sustainability Action Plan set to be achieved by 2030, inspiring others to lead the way globally in environmental, social and institutional sustainability.
Three targets have been identified :
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- STARS Certification
- United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGE)
According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2015) emissions reduction from the livestock sector can be achieved by reducing production and consumption. Larner et al. (2021) and others postulate
“a rapid dietary shift away from animal products, especially beef, lamb and dairy products is necessary to reduce diet-related GHGE and avoid further climate warming”
References
Camilleri, A. R., Larrick, R. P., Hossain, S., & Patino-Echeverri, D. (2019). Consumers underestimate the emissions associated with food but are aided by labels. Nature Climate Change, 9(1), 53-58. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0354-z
Fao.org. Dashboard-old | Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM) | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2023, from https://www.fao.org/gleam/dashboard-old/en/
Foodandagricultureorganization.shinyapps.io. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2023, from https://foodandagricultureorganization.shinyapps.io/GLEAMV3_Public/
Kaljonen, M., Salo, M., Lyytimäki, J., & Furman, E. (2020). From isolated labels and nudges to sustained tinkering: assessing long-term changes in sustainable eating at a lunch restaurant. British Food Journal. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/BFJ-10-2019-0816/full/html
Larner, E., Fish, A. L., Way, C. H., Graham, F., Armstrong, B., Patel, V., … & Reynolds, C. J. (2021). Reaction to a low-carbon footprint food logo and other sustainable diet promotions in a UK University’s Student Union ‘Living Lab’.
https://kobra.uni-kassel.de/handle/123456789/12593#
Reynolds, C. J., Buckley, J. D., Weinstein, P., & Boland, J. (2014). Are the dietary guidelines for meat, fat, fruit and vegetable consumption appropriate for environmental sustainability? A review of the literature. Nutrients, 6(6), 2251-2265. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/6/6/2251
Rust, N. A., Ridding, L., Ward, C., Clark, B., Kehoe, L., Dora, M., … & West, N. (2020). How to transition to reduced-meat diets that benefit people and the planet. Science of the Total Environment, 718, 137208. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896972030718X