NYU has joined the Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge, pledging to reduce food-based emissions by 25% by 2030!

The NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy launched the Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge to engage private sector institutions in the effort to fight climate change through more sustainable food systems. Food systems are the third largest emitter of greenhouse gasses globally and account for 20% of New York City’s overall footprint, making diet a crucial component to creating a more sustainable world. Foods have different carbon footprints, with animal-based protein like red meat and dairy emitting more carbon than plant-based protein alternatives. Therefore, an effective (and delicious) way to reduce an environmental footprint is to add or improve options for low-carbon, plant-based food! 

What will this mean for food at NYU?

The action plan at NYU will focus on developing more plant-based options in dining halls, collaborating with events and catering to create plant-forward menus, and working with vendors to source more sustainable foods. For example, dairy milk is oftentimes a default but can be substituted by oat milk to be more carbon-friendly. Redesigning menus to list plant-based meals first is also a simple change that can push consumers to reframe their dietary patterns. Changing diets to be more sustainable doesn’t happen overnight, so encouraging behavioral changes and showing the NYU community that plant-based eating can be delicious is a step in the right direction. 

How does this fit in with other sustainability efforts at NYU?

NYU is a leading climate actor with a goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2040. Not only does this commitment align with our Coolfood Pledge, which similarly focuses on reducing food-based greenhouse gas emissions across all of NYU’s campuses by 25% by 2030, but it also fits alongside other initiatives like the Passive House retrofit of Rubin Hall, our annual Green Apple Move Out initiative, and our transportation related programs and policies.