Green Tuesday Initiative Launches #LetsTalkAboutIt Campaign to Spotlight Food’s Overlooked Environmental Impact
By Akshata Pawar
New Delhi, 6th June 2025: In a bold move to address one of the most under-discussed contributors to climate change, the Green Tuesday Initiative has launched its #LetsTalkAboutIt campaign. The effort urges institutions across India and Vietnam to acknowledge and act on the environmental impact of food, particularly from animal agriculture, during World Environment Month.
Launched alongside the release of the organization’s 2024 Impact Report, the campaign aims to spotlight a critical issue often absent from corporate climate and ESG strategies: the environmental footprint of meat, dairy, and egg consumption.
Despite being a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, and water depletion, food-related policies seldom find space in institutional sustainability agendas. The Green Tuesday Initiative intends to end this silence.
“With the #LetsTalkAboutIt campaign, we’re pushing for an honest conversation,” said Bhavya Vatrapu, Senior Campaign Manager for India and Vietnam. “No new construction or heavy investments are required — just practical food policy changes that deliver measurable impact.”
Significant Environmental Impact in 2024
According to its 2024 report, the Green Tuesday Initiative partnered with over 60 institutions — including Tech Mahindra, SRM Institute of Hotel Management, and Tata Power — to eliminate more than 1.39 million pounds of meat, eggs, and dairy from their food services in 2024.
This shift resulted in:
51.6 million pounds of CO₂-equivalent emissions avoided
69.8 billion gallons of water conserved
An estimated 2.6 million animals spared
These outcomes were driven by low-cost, easy-to-implement strategies like weekly plant-forward menus and reducing the frequency of high-impact animal-based meals.
Low-Cost, High-Impact ESG Solution
As businesses seek scalable and affordable ways to achieve their sustainability goals, the Green Tuesday model stands out as a practical solution. In 2024 alone, the initiative influenced the food habits of nearly 84,000 employees and students, demonstrating that minor dietary shifts can yield significant environmental benefits.
The campaign also raises a pressing question: If animal agriculture is this harmful to the environment, why are more organizations not addressing it?
A Call for Institutional Courage
Through #LetsTalkAboutIt, the Green Tuesday Initiative is challenging leaders in education, hospitality, technology, and beyond to go beyond traditional climate strategies. As environmental crises grow more severe, the campaign argues that sustainability must extend beyond carbon credits and renewable energy — it must also include what we choose to serve on our plates.
