The World Veterinary Environmental Alliance has formed to focus the global veterinary profession to champion urgent action on climate change, biodiversity  and sustainability, through education, advocacy and practical leadership.

Six of the nine planetary boundaries have been transgressed, with compounding, far-reaching, and potentially irreversible effects. (Appendix 1).

Sustainability depends on a myriad of interactions.

Key Boundaries for Animals

• Climate Change - Due to human-induced emissions, the world is expected to exceed 1.5-3 degrees of warming by 2100, depending on the global response (Ref: IPCC) (Appendix 2) 

• Biosphere Integrity - Humanity’s escalating ecological overshoot demands over 70% more from nature than ecosystems can regenerate (Ref: Global Footprint Network) 

• Land-System Change - Deforestation, habitat destruction and natural resource use heralds the sixth mass extinction - the first man-made in history. (Ref: Living Planet Index)

Animals are mortally impacted and their production compromised

Impacts on the health and welfare of livestock, wildlife and companion animals lead to profound effects on human, social and economic wellbeing. Global warming is changing weather patterns and disease distribution, escalating extreme weather events, heat stress and ecosystem damage on land and in water. Disturbance of land systems measurably affects animal production and reproduction, devastating biodiversity and global food supply. The Living Planet Index has measured reduced abundance of wildlife by 73 percent in the last 50 years (Appendix 3).

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – the role of veterinarians 

While the UNSDGs, Paris Agreement and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework provide opportunities to guide and coordinate efforts across sectors and countries to achieve sustainability, curb biodiversity loss and stabilise the climate, multiple reports indicate that we are significantly off track in meeting these essential targets.

SDGs provide an international framework to focus effort and collaboration across sectors and countries, applicable to the veterinary sector. Our profession has a responsibility to take meaningful action, wherever possible, to help steer us back toward a livable planet. (Appendix 4.)

Our Professional Responsibility

Through their veterinary oath, veterinarians commit to:

• Practise veterinary science ethically and conscientiously for the benefit of animal welfare, animal and human health, users of veterinary services and the community. 

• Acknowledge that with the privilege of acceptance into the veterinary profession comes community and professional responsibility.

Veterinarians can impact climate and sustainability outcomes

Our profession collaborates across animal health, welfare and production, biosecurity, biodiversity, One Health, business and the economy, and the global food supply. Veterinarians have an important role to play in advocating for mitigation of emissions and adopting sustainable adaptation measures, while modeling sustainability and emissions reduction.

Veterinarians

• Are scientific, practical, empathetic and collaborative. 

• Work across every demographic - rural, urban, poor, rich - and across the political, racial and gender spectrum.

• Are trusted advisors - we inform and work with the public, farmers, business, governments and allied disciplines. 

• Can be powerful communicators, with the courage to speak on behalf of animals, who have no voice.

Our profession

• Works to improve the health, welfare and production of the world’s Livestock (worth at least $2 trillion USD annually), supporting global food supply. We can promote sustainable grazing management, land and water use decisions while working with farmers to reduce methane, nitrogen and ammonia emissions.

• Plays an important role in One Health, the intersection of Animal, Human and Ecological Health, through mitigating disease spread, preventing future pandemics.

• Supports the health and welfare of Companion Animals, contributing powerfully to good mental health and community wellbeing.

• Supports Wildlife health to help restore biodiversity and prevent extinctions. Biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are vital life support systems, providing clean air and water, food security, and disease regulation. Their future is ours.

• Impacts the Economy - With multi-billion-dollar global budgets across veterinary medicines, professional services and animal feeds, our profession can positively influence vendors, partners and government, promoting more sustainable consumption of precious resources.

• Can take structured and coordinated measures to improve sustainability and reduce emissions across veterinary business, improving planetary health and financial outcomes.
  

But there is a human toll. The huge pressures of caring for animals impacted by extreme weather events, increasing heat stress, disease and pollution challenges, can cause extreme distress for communities, in particular veterinarians on the frontline. We need to consider how to support the prosperity and mental well-being of our profession, which is increasingly under threat. 

The veterinary profession collaborating globally to achieve a sustainable planet. 

To inspire, connect, guide, and facilitate the veterinary profession in their work and collaborations with people, governments, and institutions to achieve a sustainable planet.

By working together to grow the number of veterinarians and animal care professionals who champion climate action, biodiversity, and sustainability, we will influence our profession, communities, industries, and governments to implement policies and take action to protect animals, people, and the planet.

WVEA supports global action to:

• Rapidly accelerate the transition to renewable energy while phasing out fossil fuels.

• Stop deforestation and native forest logging.

• Move towards sustainable, low emissions agriculture whilst giving consideration for animal welfare, resilient agricultural communities and the global food supply.

• Strengthen environmental frameworks to protect biodiversity.

• Minimize the negative impacts of veterinary healthcare and agriculture systems.

• Model circularity, sustainability, and emissions reduction across the veterinary profession.

Values

• Intercultural - Act locally. Collaborate globally: WVEA appreciates diverse national and international veterinary and animal care roles across livestock, wildlife and companion animals. We are not prescriptive, but share learnings, frameworks, and ideas with each other. Each nation member retains the authority to do what is most appropriate in the context of their own country. 

• Evidence-Based: Our actions and policies are based on available research and scientific evidence.

• Non-Partisan: We support environmentally positive policies and call out damaging ones, regardless of the party, politician or nations they are associated with. Advocacy, not activism. 

• One Health Focus: Veterinarians care deeply about animals, humanity and the environment. Consistent with the One Health paradigm, we recognise the three are inextricably linked. 

• Ethical Business Engagement: We engage with partners and businesses according to our corporate engagement policies.

• Professional Trust and Efficiency: WVEA values the commitment of our team and honours the trust our communities have in the veterinary profession. We are low on bureaucracy and high in impact.

Focus areas

Education  - So that all veterinary sectors - veterinary practitioners and allied associates, academics, government, corporate and industry sectors - can understand and respond positively and practically to the impacts of climate change, land system change, pollution on livestock, wildlife, companion animals and One Health and the adaptations required. Example here. 

• Understand both the coming legal responsibility, and immense business opportunity, of a swift response.

Policy Development and Implementation - Encourage all veterinary  associations, national and global, to develop and implement positive policies on animal health, welfare and production in relation to Climate, Sustainability (including agricultural) and Biodiversity. 

For example, the Australian Veterinary Association's policy on "Climate change and animal health, welfare and production"  here. 

Industry Engagement - Engage with veterinary business, industry, corporates and the animal care supply chain to accelerate urgent emissions reduction and sustainability, in accordance with our Corporate Engagement Policy here.

Low Emissions Agriculture - Drive sustainable low emissions agriculture, with due consideration for animal welfare.

Prosperity and mental wellbeing of our profession - Support the veterinary and animal care professions as they work on the frontline. 

Leading by practical example - Promote and share effective sustainability, circularity and emissions reduction programs for use in-practice and on-farm. Example here. Explore accreditation processes for veterinary practices. 

National and International Advocacy - As trusted, scientific advisors with a collective voice, we can present and promote key messages together, voluntarily co-sign submissions to shape policy, and provide media interviews. In this way, we promote environmentally positive policy to business, government and the public. 

By extension, influence the public - As an integral part of communities, we can share the importance of our work through social media, public, industry and corporate presentations and through film and media, with optional engagement from our partner organisations.

1. As a Member - Individual

Strengthen our collective voice and scale our practical action. 

• Stay engaged, inspired, and informed. Receive access to resources and developments in veterinary sustainability, climate, and biodiversity from all around the world. 

• Join these eminent professionals in your public endorsement:

Patron  

• Prof Peter Doherty - Nobel Laureate & Veterinarian 

Ambassadors

• Dr Mark Schipp - Former President OIE, Former Chief Vet Australia, WVA Asia Pacific Councillor and One Health Committee Chair, Commonwealth Vet Assoc Councillor. 

• Dr Rafael Laguens - Former President World Vet Association and Federation Vet Europe.

• Prof Mark Howden AC FAA FTSE Australian National University, Vice Chair of IPCC Working Group II. Shared Nobel Laureate recipient.

• Dr Mariam Kihika - Veterinary Surgeon. Chair Ugandan Veterinary Climate Alliance

• Dr Paul van der Merwe - President South African Veterinary Association, One Health Consultant.

Growing List of Key Endorsements 

• Dr Laura Higham, Laura Gelder-Robertson - Vet Sustain Founder and CEO.

• Dr Helen Scott-Orr AM PSM - Former Inspector-General Biosecurity Australia.

• Dr Michael Banyard - OAM, Fellow and Former President AVA, Florey Fellow.

• South African Veterinary Association

• Vet Sustain, Ugandan Veterinary Climate Alliance, Vets for Climate Action

• Veterinaires Pour La Biodiversite

2. As a Member - Organisation, University, Veterinary Practice, or Zoo

Act locally, collaborate globally. 

• Stay engaged, inspired, and informed - receive access to resources and developments in veterinary sustainability, climate and biodiversity from all around the world. 

• Join eminent veterinary professionals in your organisation’s public endorsement:

• Connect to scale and amplify the work of your and other veterinary organisations working across climate, sustainability and biodiversity. 

• Share ideas, resources, speakers, submissions, forums, academic papers, films, podcasts, programs and plans on the WVEA website via our Collaborative Partnership.

• Join a global working group in your area of interest, as available. 

3. As an Industry Partnership for corporations and businesses

Drive positive change 

• Support us as we focus the global veterinary profession to champion urgent action on climate change, sustainability and biodiversity, through education, advocacy and practical leadership in-clinic and on-farm.

• Receive public, global acknowledgement of your support.

• Veterinary and non-veterinary partners are welcomed.