On Tuesday, March 10th, Trinity People Before Profit (TCD PBP) announced they were implementing a permanent vegan policy and urged the Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU/AMLCT), other societies and Trinity College Dublin itself to take on similar policies. The policy mandates that all future society activities or events will have no animal products purchased nor served.
In a press release, the TCD PBP states that the move “represents a long-term commitment to advance vegan causes where possible and oppose animal agriculture”. They further note:
“The Plant-Based University movement came and left Trinity in 2023. No action was taken by TCDSU to support this. Furthermore, Trinity did not take it seriously. If Trinity and TCDSU want to commit to sustainability, equality, and justice, they ought to adopt the plant-based model. Public institutions and universities are thought-leaders and are supposed to act as role models for the rest of the world, and should adopt a vegan policy to combat the number one source of carbon emissions in the country.”
Chair of Trinity PBP, James Ryan, comments: “TCD PBP believes in helping animal welfare, protecting workers’ rights, and combatting the climate crisis. The vegan policy aims to reduce individual consumption of animal products and raise public awareness, while encouraging other societies and Trinity to follow suit to work towards a plant-based campus”. The announcement was released in connection with Green Week, which is taking place between Monday, March 9th and Friday, March 13th.
In an initial comment to the University Times, a spokesperson from Trinity College Dublin said that “a survey is underway on a food plan for Trinity, organised by the Trinity Food Plan Working Group”, and referred to Trinity’s Sustainable and Healthy Food Plan. The Food Plan responds to four actions set out in Trinity’s Sustainability Strategy, two of those being to “Reduce GHG emissions associated with food production and waste in all catering facilities by 50% by 2030” and to “Increase plant-based menus by 50% by 2030”.
The former goal includes liaising with the carbon footprinting working group, reviewing “portion size in relation to food waste”, and lastly to “reduce food waste by signing up to a food waste app i.e. TooGoodtoGo or Olio”. Students are not yet able to access food waste from Trinity via neither TooGoodToGo nor Olio.
The latter includes the following steps: “Investigate the Plant-First Campus approach”, “Develop a plant-based menu plan to increase the diversity of options”, “Work with catering staff who already deliver plant-based food to explore further opportunities” and to “Review Meat Free Mondays and Meat Free Weeks as tools to incentivise plant-based eating”. There is no other mention of decreasing the amount of animal-based products offered by Trinity’s catering outlets.
In a follow up comment to the University Times, a spokesperson for the college said “Our current task is to increase plant based menus on campus by 50%. That is not the 100% that TCDPBP is asking for but discussions are ongoing and we’re always keen to engage with students, particularly organised groups like TCDPBP. We want to adopt the best approach with consideration given to climate, nature and health.” The comment then reiterated the Sustainable and Healthy Food Plan, and mentioned that the survey “does ask for opinions on the choice of plant-based food in Trinity restaurants”.
The survey can be found here and is open to staff and students now.
In a statement to the University Times, President of TCDSU, Grace McNally, commenting on whether the Students’ Union would follow suit, said: “I disagree with PBP’s new Vegan Policy and their call for TCDSU/AMLCT to go fully vegan.”
“While I respect and support people’s right to choose a vegan lifestyle, I don’t think it is appropriate for a students’ union or college bodies to impose a single dietary approach on all students.”
“For many students, especially during a cost-of-living crisis, a fully vegan approach can be inaccessible or more expensive depending on what is available on campus. Students come from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures, and financial situations, and our union will represent and accommodate all of them rather than promote a one-size-fits-all policy.”
“That said, I recognise that veganism can have positive environmental and ethical benefits, and I fully support individuals who choose that lifestyle. Students should absolutely have accessible vegan options and the freedom to make that choice. However, representation means ensuring everyone’s needs and preferences are considered, rather than aligning the union with a single dietary position.”
“In my view, the focus should be on expanding affordable options and supporting student choice, not restricting it”.
The University Times has reached out to Trinity Sustainability for further comment on food waste apps TooGoodToGo or Olio. The Trinity Environmental Society has also been contacted for comment.
— Update, March 13th, 2026, 17:54 —
The above article was updated to include follow-up comment from College.
