The city of Ghent will declare every Thursday a vegetarian day and offer climate-conscious consumers tips on limiting their meat intake, which city officials consider a significant source of pollution.

Tom Balthazar, a Ghent city councilor, says abstaining from meat one day a week "is good for the climate, your health and your taste buds."

The city, 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Brussels, threw a party Wednesday to celebrate the first veggie day. It dispensed recipes and a list of vegetarian restaurants, and gave demonstrations on how to cook a green meal. Municipal restaurants will limit meat to an alternative section of the menu Thursdays.

Balthazar says meat production is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gasses.