Issue - meetings

Following questions to Council from several members of the public on the Council’s stance on plant-based diets in relation to climate change, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Environment & Place Overview & Scrutiny Panel requested a preliminary discussion paper on the issue in order to stimulate debate.

The Chair did not take part or vote on this item. The Vice-Chair took the Chair.

The Sustainability Manager presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The Committee was advised that following questions to Council from several members of the public on the Council’s stance on plant-based diets in relation to climate change, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Environment & Place Overview & Scrutiny Panel requested a preliminary discussion paper on the issue in order to stimulate debate.

The report set out key issues and reported that many organisations agreed that we needed to reduce meat eating by around 20 – 50 percent.  Food waste also needed to be reduced.

It was suggested that the Council were not being ambitious enough in setting out what had already been done.  Council concessions offer a vegan option on their menus. It was suggested there could be education around more plant-based eating.

During the report writing the Sustainability Manager consulted with Edinburgh Council which had an action plan which was more focussed on the line of awareness raising around plant-based eating.

It was stated that some meat free products can be quite processed and that the best route would be for people to cook from scratch.

It was discussed that the best option was choice and options to look at recording and reporting. The outcomes needed to measure where we were as a base line.

RESOLVED that

1. the Environment & Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee considered the information presented in the discussion paper and gave their views on possible approaches Cabinet may wish to take in relation to the promotion of plant-based and reduced meat and dairy diets. These proposals will then be subject to further evidence-gathering and consultation.
2. To support the treaty and do more work outside the committee on the position statement.
3. The draft position statement be brought back to the Committee for further consideration with information about how it can be measured against SMART objectives in order for the Council to be more ambitious and positive on this issue.

Voting: 8 for, 1 against

The meeting was adjourned at 7:24pm and resumed at 7:33pm