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Should public institutions adopt plant-based diets? Climate duties and shared leadership

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Derek Bell, Dr Johannes KniessORCiD, Dr Andrew Walton

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

Many public institutions across Europe and North America, such as schools, hospitals, and universities, are considering plant-based catering policies to reduce their carbon footprint. This raises several moral questions about the appropriateness of individual institutions adopting controversial climate change mitigation strategies without clear government directive. This Viewpoint Article argues that public institutions have a shared leadership in discharging climate duties, and that the adoption of plant-based diets is an effective strategy to do so. Using normative analysis, it systematically addresses the most important worries about this strategy, including concerns about freedom, equal treatment, constituency preferences, and third-party costs. By showing that these worries are unfounded, it contributes to ongoing debates about the role of dietary change within climate change mitigation efforts and the responsibilities of public sector institutions.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Bell D, Inglis MI, Kniess J, Walton A

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Climate Policy

Year: 2025

Pages: E-pub ahead of print

Online publication date: 17/12/2025

Acceptance date: 11/12/2025

Date deposited: 12/12/2025

ISSN (print): 1469-3062

ISSN (electronic): 1752-7457

Publisher: Earthscan Ltd

URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2025.2604728

DOI: 10.1080/14693062.2025.2604728

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