News / University of Bristol
Students’ Union pass motion to support plant-based menu on campus
The Students’ Union at University of Bristol (Bristol SU) has voted to transition to a plant-based menu on campus.
The motion was passed on Tuesday during the Annual Members Meeting (AMM), held in the physics building on Royal Fort Gardens.
This is not the first time the motion has appeared at the Members Meeting. It made a return following a focused campaign throughout the past academic year, after being defeated in last year’s meeting.
is needed now More than ever
The campaign was led by the Plant-Based Universities group, which framed its mission of addressing the climate crisis as a central goal.
Students at University of Bristol has voted to transition to a plant-based menu on campus to “end the climate crisis” – photo: Milan Perera
Plant-Based Universities is an international campaign involving students from the UK and several other countries, with active participation in over 50 institutions.
The campaign engages fellow students, encouraging them to sign up and help run initiatives at their universities. The initiative has received the backing of several prominent figures, including Chris Packham, Dale Vince, Etienne Stott, George Monbiot, and Dr Hannah Ritchie.
Agnes Sales, a 2nd-year Philosophy & Theology student at the University of Bristol, said: “After last year’s motion failed, it’s amazing to see the shift in support from our student community towards our campaign.
“It’s clear that students are willing to vote for no-nonsense climate solutions and set an example for the rest of the country to follow.
“We’ve seen a winter of storms and flooding that was made much more likely by climate breakdown. I don’t want to graduate into a world where that is commonplace for the rest of my life; that’s why transitioning to a plant-based food system is so important.”
Bristol University’s Source cafes, located across campus, have already been championing plant-based meals on their menus. Source cafe at Senate House serves a menu where 74 per cent of the offerings are plant-based.
Plant based servings at the University’s Source cafes – photo: Milan Perera
Bristol University now joins Imperial College London, which recently passed a similar motion to transition to a plant-based diet across its campus.
A spokesperson for the Bristol SU said: “At our Annual Members Meeting (AMM) on Tuesday students voted for the motion for ‘Bristol SU to support the transition to sustainable and affordable catering by expanding plant-based options’.
Spokesperson further clarified that this is not a move to a 100 per cent plant-based university.
“This is not a move to a 100 per cent plant-based university, but the SU is committed to lobbying and actioning the steps outlined in the motion such as improving plant-based pre-packaged food in Source Cafes,” said the spokesperson.
“This has been a long-standing issue for students, and Bristol SU is pleased to support this campaign as part of our commitment to sustainability and tackling the climate crisis.”
Currently, the menu at Source at Senate House is 74 per cent plant-based – photo: Milan Perera
Bristol University joins 13 other universities across the UK, Netherlands, and Austria, where students are supporting the move to 100 per cent vegan menus.
“Within my role as a green councillor I will also lobby for more sustainable, ethical and affordable food citywide,” said Izzy Russell, University of Bristol student and councillor – photo: Green Party
Izzy Russell, Bristol University student and a councillor for Ashley ward at Bristol City Council, welcomed the university’s decision to transition to a plant-based menu.
She said: “It’s really exciting that Bristol has joined the 14 other European Universities recognising that plant based food is more sustainable, ethical, and that we need to facilitate making it more accessible.
“This has taken years of campaigning, and as a student myself active within these spaces, it has been wonderful to see the support growing. Bristol is a green and a radical city, so decisions like this are welcome.
“Within my role as a green councillor I will also lobby for more sustainable, ethical and affordable food citywide.”
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Recently, Bristol University earned recognition as one of the leading institutions in sustainability, securing the 17th spot in the QS World University Rankings for 2025.
Main photo: Plant Based Universities
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