COP30 toolkit urges for more plant-based meals in schools

A new international guide launched at COP30 in Brazil is calling on Governments to overhaul food served in schools, placing healthier, more climate-friendly, plant-forward meals at the centre of children’s diets.

The Diets Toolkit, produced by ProVeg International, Climate Focus and WWF, provides policymakers with practical steps to cut food-related emissions while improving public health. 

One of the recommendations is for Governments to introduce more plant-based options in schools, alongside hospitals and other public institutions, as part of national commitments to climate and biodiversity goals.

But the guide stresses that the pathway will differ from country to country.

Stephanie Maw, senior UN policy and advocacy manager at ProVeg International, said: “There is certainly no silver bullet for this, because no single definition of a healthy and sustainable diet is applicable to all countries.

“The toolkit highlights a wide menu of concrete and effective policies that Governments can put in place to align diets with climate and health goals. Different social and cultural habits as well as varying geographies and economies dictate that policies must be tailored to the needs of individual countries.”