In 2023, the City of Edinburgh Council signed a treaty recognising the devastating impact of the meat industry – the Plant Based Treaty. In doing so, Edinburgh became the first European capital city to endorse this kind of resolution.
However, three years later, this recognition has failed to be transformed into tangible measures – the words were set on paper, but no meaningful measures were taken to reduce meat-industry related emissions. Symbolism is important, but it is not enough.
This is where Plant Based Edinburgh comes in. They are a group of volunteers who assembled in early 2025 to hold Edinburgh’s political agents accountable. We talked to Abdullah, a recent University of Edinburgh biology graduate, who is now a climate activist and part of the Plant-based Edinburgh volunteering team. He describes the efforts the group has been making to shift public perception when it comes to plant-based diets.
As of present, their campaign focuses on pushing the City of Edinburgh Council to fulfil its climate commitments by adopting plant-based catering at city meetings and events. As part of their lobbying efforts, they have launched a petition which asks, “[Edinburgh] Council to drop meat and dairy products from all its internal functions.”
This would enable the city to drastically reduce carbon emissions linked to meat and dairy industries. In fact, animal farming accounts for an astonishing 14 to 18 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Knowing that half of the planet’s habitable land is used for farming, and that a staggering 80 per cent of this land is used to raise animals, reducing meat and dairy consumption is also critical to restore biodiversity and carbon sink areas. According to the council’s action plan, if the entire population of Edinburgh adopted a plant-based diet, a land area equivalent to the entire Lake District region would free up from animal farming.
Despite the negative perception they often carry, Abdullah refers to scientific data proving that eating plant-based diets can be very healthy. New studies do, indeed, show that vegetarians have lower risks of getting some types of cancers. Of course, such eating habits must be managed properly. Nowadays, there are many resources that can help you do so, such as food blogs and NHS webpages available online. Abdullah insists that a plant-based diet can be “delicious, healthy, and affordable.”
A complete change in our food supply system, would, however, require adaptations and measures to reduce the impacts on the animal farming community. If change is going to be successful, it must be accompanied by a just transition, leaving no one behind. For instance, veterinary students, who often collaborate with breeders and farmers, could have their career prospects lessened in the event of reduced meat demand. Abdullah maintains that these sectors should not come at the expense of our vital climate system. With change comes opportunity; such labour forces will have to evolve and become resilient.
Abdullah says he is aware that these changes will take time, as mindset and cultural habits surrounding food are deeply ingrained: “Asking people to change their diets is more personal. Other changes, such as taking public transport or bikes, installing solar panels… feel like lesser asks.” We do not have emotional attachments to petrol and fossil fuel systems, but we are attached to our traditional, cultural foods. Thus, change must begin at the top, from governments that can leverage institutional, societal change.
But today we cannot trust those in power to spontaneously fulfil the missions we ask them to. We must demand the changes we wish to see. While political engagement dwindles, signing such petitions and encouraging our friends and relatives to do so is ever more important. Every signature sends a clear signal that Edinburgh residents value this issue.
The Plant-Based Edinburgh petition can be signed by businesses and individuals and has already accumulated a few hundred signatures. All Edinburgh residents over the age of 16 are being urged to sign. While no exact date has been set, the petition is set to close at the end of May, and the city council will debate the issue before deciding.
Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash