Veterinary practice can no longer COP-out

Increasingly, environmental issues are in the veterinary headlines — and as global leaders meet in Glasgow for COP26, we can all reflect on what we can do at an organisational and personal level to tackle threats to the global environment. There are now regular, inspiring reports in the veterinary press on what individuals, practices or corporate groups are doing to reduce waste, limit carbon emissions or promote biodiversity.

In September, the editors of human and veterinary healthcare journals published a call to arms for the healthcare sector, highlighting the impact that climate change was having on health (https://bit.ly/3w9Ia2i). Changes in global temperatures will impact on many areas in which veterinary professionals are key, such as public health, infectious disease spread, farming practices and food production.

In April of this year, the RCVS joined with a number of other veterinary organisations from across the world to endorse a series of pledges developed by the World Veterinary Association to combat climate change. An RCVS Environment and Sustainability Working Party was established this time last year to develop policies, both internally for the RCVS and more widely for the profession through our regulatory mechanisms. The RCVS will be joining other health professionals, through membership of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, to make recommendations concerning potential new environmental and sustainability initiatives. The RCVS working party will, through the Advancement of the Professions Committee, make recommendations to RCVS Council. It is therefore likely that it is only a matter of time before practices have to demonstrate their environmental credentials to be able to attain RCVS accreditations.