Companies and universities in India are cutting down on meat to fight climate change

In an effort to reduce their food-related carbon footprint due to rising global concerns about climate change, companies and universities across the country joined the Green Tuesday Initiative to reduce their animal product consumption like meat, dairy, and egg. Green Tuesday Initiative helps companies and corporations to reduce their carbon footprint by making changes in the food they serve once a week. In 2021, ten new companies and universities joined this initiative and reduced about 335,963 kgs of animal products.

According to the World Bank report-2021, climate change could push more than 200 million people to leave their homes in the next three decades. India is the 5th most vulnerable country to climate change. Multiple reports have identified animal agriculture as one of the leading causes of climate change, including the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which emphasized a shift towards plant-based diets as a significant opportunity to limit greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Climate action awareness is becoming prominent in the country, and more institutions are adopting new practices to reduce their carbon footprint.

"Tech Mahindra is always at the forefront of taking sustainability and environment-related initiatives. From hosting plastic-free events to organizing the most extensive plantation drives, Tech Mahindra has always encouraged and inspired us to make an impact and keep doing more. By implementing vegetarian Tuesdays, we are taking one step forward in reducing our food-related carbon footprint and creating awareness about the food choices of employees. In the next year, we will be working with Vegan Outreach to implement this initiative on more campuses in other cities. Our team is also working to create a soulful, delicious alternative menu on Tuesdays." - C V N Varma, Vice President - Corporate Services at Tech Mahindra.

What we eat is escalating into a global concern. It does not stand as a personal choice anymore. Meat and dairy are responsible for 60% of agriculture's GHGs, a leading cause of deforestation, and is linked to 60% of global biodiversity loss. The animal agriculture industry is resource-intensive, using 33% of drinking water and 83% of available farmland—none of which we can afford right now.

We can't turn on the news these days without hearing the devastating news of climate change and its consequences, including heatwaves, floods, forest fires, and changing seasons. The United Nations has declared code red for humanity, and taking action is the urgent need of the hour. Initiatives like Green Tuesday aim to curb the food-related emissions," said Bhavya Vatrapu, Campaigns and Social Media Manager at Vegan Outreach India. 

Green Tuesday Initiative aligns with seven sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations, including zero hunger, good health and well-being, clean water and sanitation, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, and life on land.

"We have had some of the biggest successes this year. We are glad that Tech Mahindra—an IT giant, Hetero—a leader in the pharma sector, and Reva University—one of the largest universities in the country, joined the Green Tuesday Initiative. The success in implementing this change in the cafeterias across diversified sectors made it clear that consumer behavior is changing—environmental awareness is increasing and trending towards consuming less animal-based products and more plant-based products." Said Richa Mehta, Director of Programs at Vegan Outreach.

This year, the Green Tuesday Initiative team has recognized the leaders of these institutions who went out of their way to implement the initiative. Some organizations changed their policies at a national level for a better impact. Some organized awareness seminars to senior management. Some even planned fun plant-based cooking challenges for employees working from home. Green Tuesday Initiative has awarded 10 such personnel with the "Making a Difference" award.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Our first step to reducing food-related carbon footprint is partnering with Vegan Outreach's Green Tuesday Initiative. We hope our new partnership will help fight climate change and promote employee wellness," said Vignesh S - HR and Business partner, TA Digital.

With 29 partners so far, the Green Tuesday Initiative has created a significant impact by reducing hundreds of tons of greenhouse gas emissions, saving thousands of gallons of water, saving the lives of animals, and promoting a compassionate, healthy lifestyle. 2022 is looking bright and hopeful for fighting climate change with diet change.

About Green Tuesday Initiative:
Green Tuesday Initiative is a campaign by Vegan Outreach to help institutions reduce their environmental footprint by making small changes in the food they serve. So far, we’ve collaborated with 29 institutions in India. Online at greentuesday.org.

About Vegan Outreach
Vegan Outreach is an international nonprofit organization aiming to bring food sustainability, fight climate change, and reduce animal suffering by promoting a vegan lifestyle through educating and providing resources to the public, and increasing the accessibility of vegan food. Online at veganoutreach.org.

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