Vet Sustain Launches Ambitious Strategy 2025-2028 to Embed Sustainability Across Veterinary Professions

The strategy is dedicated to Simon Doherty, a founding director of Vet Sustain and a passionate advocate of One Health and sustainability. The "One Health" approach, which forms the basis of the 2025-2028 strategy, recognises the profound interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, and the unique position within which veterinary professionals sit to advocate across each.

While research indicates that 97% of veterinary professionals consider sustainability to be important, many report not knowing where to begin, and fewer than a quarter of surveyed veterinary professionals have environmental sustainability policies in their workplaces. This new strategy directly addresses this challenge, aiming for a fundamental shift in mindset where sustainability is viewed not just as a responsibility but as a competitive advantage.

The overarching purpose of Vet Sustain is "Healthier animals, people and planet", with a vision for the veterinary profession to become "a leading force for sustainability" and mission to "continually improve the health and wellbeing of animals, people and planet by enabling and inspiring veterinary professionals".

The new strategy highlights the strong business case for engaging in sustainability, citing benefits for small and medium-sized veterinary businesses. According to the Willow Review, 67% of UK SMEs report reduced operational costs, 56% cite cost savings, and 52% attract new customers due to sustainability commitments. Furthermore, action on sustainability can positively impact mental health, motivation, and the attraction and retention of talent.

Ed Bailey, Chair of the Board of Directors explained that:

‘Vet Sustain is proud to have helped the UK profession to forge a path towards a more sustainable future over the last five years. Our goal is now to widen that effect, so that everyone in the veterinary professions has the knowledge and the desire to play their part. Our success, now and in the future, depends upon our community – the people within our team, our working groups, our volunteers, our valued partners, and our wider network. We look forward to broadening our reach and bringing in new partners to help us deliver on our mission.’

The new strategy is built upon three core strategic pillars designed to empower veterinary professionals:

• Learn: Vet Sustain aims to be the go-to’ trusted provider of evidence-based veterinary sustainability tools, training and resources. This includes developing financially accessible, bite-sized CPD courses suitable for all learners, such as "Sustainability 101," "Biodiversity Literacy," and a "Carbon Literacy and Carbon Calculation package." The organisation will also drive the use of its veterinary practice-specific carbon calculator tool.

• Connect: This pillar focuses on building a community of best practice and sustainability-conscious veterinary professionals. Key initiatives include establishing a "Veterinary Sustainability Roundtable" – a pre-competitive, cross-industry alliance of stakeholders to tackle crucial welfare, environmental, and wellbeing issues. Alongside this, Vet Sustain will continue to nurture its existing working groups and networks to develop key tools and guidance for the professions, foster collaboration and share best practices.

• Lead: Vet Sustain will lead the way in enabling and inspiring veterinary professionals to navigate complex sustainability challenges. This involves delivering thought leadership, advocating for evidence-based research, and ensuring visibility at key national and international veterinary congresses, promoting the integration of sustainability into CPD programming. The organisation will also lead conversations with key policy makers to support sustainable initiatives and policy development.

Integral to the strategy are the "6Ws of Veterinary Sustainability": Welfare, Waste, Warming, Water, Wildlife, and Wellbeing (Figure 1).These serve as strategic goals and a practical decision-making framework for veterinary professionals facing future sustainability challenges.

Figure 1: The 6Ws of Veterinary Sustainability

Laura Gelder-Robertson, Chief Executive Officer of Vet Sustain, commented:

"2025 marks a pivotal moment in the veterinary professions in this decisive decade. The risks and costs of inaction far outweigh the costs and co-benefits of action. This is the moment for us to place sustainability at the heart of the veterinary professions."

To ensure their continued impact and financial health, Vet Sustain will evolve its funding model beyond traditional sponsorship and voluntary support. The organisation plans to access grants, funding, and consultancy in partnership with existing and new stakeholders from outside the sector, and exploring the role of technology to scale its reach.

Success will be routinely measured through a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across all strategic pillars, encompassing factors like the number and impact of tools, the size and reach of its network, and levels of confidence and knowledge among professionals.

The Vet Sustain 2025-2028 Strategy can be downloaded below and for more information on Vet Sustain and their available resources, please visit www.vetsustain.org.