LONDON – Goldsmiths, Univ. of London will remove all beef products for sale from campus foodservice outlets by the start of the 2019 academic year.

Prof. Frances Corner, the new warden, or head, of Goldsmiths, announced the beef ban as part of an initiative for the school to become a carbon neutral organization by 2025. Additional measures to achieve this goal include:

• A levy on bottled water and single-use plastic cups;
• Installation of more solar panels;
• Switching to a 100 percent clean energy supplier; and
• Reviewing student access curriculum options that focus on climate change and the role of individuals and organizations in reducing carbon emissions.

“The growing global call for organizations to take seriously their responsibilities for halting climate change is impossible to ignore. Though I have only just arrived at Goldsmiths, it is immediately obvious that our staff and students care passionately about the future of our environment and that they are determined to help deliver the step change we need to cut our carbon footprint drastically and as quickly as possible.”

These recently announced measures build upon existing initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions at Goldsmiths such as a wide-scale recycling program, and purges each term of non-perishable food, clothes, shoes and bedding from Goldsmiths’ student residence halls.

And, starting Dec. 1, Goldsmiths endowment will no longer invest in companies that generate more than 10 percent of their revenue from fossil fuels.

“Declaring a climate emergency cannot be empty words,” Corner said. “I truly believe we face a defining moment in global history and Goldsmiths now stands shoulder to shoulder with other organizations willing to call the alarm and take urgent action to cut carbon use.”