Reuters

The Australian town of Bundanoon, roughly 90 miles southwest of Sydney, voted to ban bottled water this week to reduce carbon dioxide emissions associated with bottling and transporting the water, according to Australian media.

Huw Kingston, a local businessman and the organizer of a campaign group, Bundy on Tap, said that 400 people turned up to the Bundanoon Memorial Hall to vote in favor of the ban, with only two casting dissenting votes, according to a report.

Free water fountains would be installed in the town to replace the bottled water, the report said.

Meanwhile, city workers in Ghent, a Flemish town northwest of Brussels, have opted to make Thursdays a “meatless day” and to eat vegetarian meals to improve health and reduce the impact of raising livestock on the environment, according to Ethical Vegetarian Alternative, a Belgian campaign group.

The initiative, announced in May, was backed by Tom Balthazar, a councilman for the city’s health and environmental committee, according to the E.V.A. From September, city-financed schools will offer a vegetarian menu on Thursdays by default, the group said.

“All 5,000 city personnel will receive a free veggie city street map and a free vegetarian cooking brochure for professionals will be sent to all 1,500 restaurants,” the group said. “There will be cooking classes for both professionals and individuals,” it said.

Climate and food experts say that the livestock industry contributes about 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.