How Campuses Can Help Turn the Tide on Climate Change
Gone are the days we can talk about the impacts of climate change as though they’re hypothetical or part of some distant future. Stronger storms, floods, wildfires, droughts and unseasonable temperatures are becoming near-daily occurrences around the globe. The impacts of climate change are already here, we are all experiencing it in our daily lives, so the time for action is now.
The latest chapter of the President to President thought leadership series delves into this topic and how it applies to college campuses. In “A New Approach to Climate Action Planning: Reimagining Campus Sustainability in a Post-COVID Environment,” University of Puget Sound President Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D., advocates for re-examining how colleges tackle environmental sustainability. He emphasizes the importance of identifying realistic goals and outlining concrete steps to achieve those goals. He also shares details of his university’s climate action plan and offers strategies for engaging the campus community in the process.
Sodexo also recognizes the need for urgent action to curb greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. We recently committed to reducing our global carbon footprint by 34% by 2025. Achieving this ambitious goal will require flexibility and innovation, along with a willingness to try new things.
In examining the areas where individuals’ actions can have the greatest impact on climate change, one option stands out: reducing meat consumption. Young consumers are increasingly looking to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diets. According to a 2020 GlobeScan study, 37% of Gen Z consumers are interested in eating more plant-based and meat-free foods. Although most consumers cite health benefits as the primary reason (and the health benefits are immense), the move toward plant-based eating also yields significant benefits for the planet. For example, beef requires 20 times more land and emits 20 times more greenhouse gas than legumes per unit of protein.
To support the ongoing shift toward plant-based eating, Sodexo recently committed to ensuring 50% of items on planned menus at our partner campuses are plant-based by 2025. Our chefs enjoy flexing their culinary creativity to whip up delicious, satisfying plant-based foods that students love. Whether it’s through our partnership with The Humane Society of the United States or through special events to highlight the World Wildlife Fund’s Future 50 Foods, we’re always looking for new ways to encourage students to opt for plant-based menu items.
The effects of climate change are all too real, and it’s easy to lose hope at times. But when enough people make small, incremental changes, it’s possible to achieve huge things. Those small changes are even easier to make when they’re fresh-cooked, packed with flavor and served at your students’ favorite campus dining spot.