Plant-Based Campus Named Finalists in Environmental Award

Photo credit: Marcus Pettersson

The Environmental Strategist Anna Gustavsson, and the Plant-Based Campus Campaigners Lorena Martín Fischer and Manuel Fernández Santana.

The Plant-Based Campus campaign at Linköping University (LiU), Sweden, were named finalists in the LiU Environmental Award. The annual award highlights students and staff initiatives which progress environmental sustainability at Linköping University. The Plant-Based Campus LiU team has been working hard to shift the university’s practices towards sustainable, just and 100% plant-based catering, through collaboration with the environmental office, student union, educational outreach and community events. Hundreds of students and staff have signed a petition in support of the campaign’s aims.

The Plant-Based Campus LiU campaign came in second place, and received an honourable mention from the Award Committee which stated that the campaign

“Deserves recognition for its strong commitment to fostering discussion and awareness about the need to transition to a plant-based diet, as well as the university’s role in achieving transformative change.”

Through this award, Linköping University (the fifth largest university in Sweden) recognises the overwhelming scientific consensus that food system change is essential to tackling climate change and environmental crises. The campaign highlights universities' capacities to enact meaningful emissions reductions through cost-effective, and straightforward policy change. Plant-Based Campus drives institutional change to ensure that plant-based food systems become a central level for climate action, both on and off-campus.

The remarkable work of the campaigners also demonstrates the positive impact which democratic and student-led movements can have on institutional actors. By highlighting universities' own climate research and pushing for LiU to lead by example, the Plant-Based Campus LiU team is bridging the gap between academic research and campus practice. The campaign at LiU will continue to advocate for sustainable, 100% plant-based food systems alongside university stakeholders.

You can read the full honorable mention from LiU here.

Plant-Based Campus is a student-led campaign working with universities and higher education institutions to transition to 100% plant-based catering to reduce emissions. Plant-Based Campus is currently active at 11 universities across the Nordics.