BCVA is part of a group of veterinary organisations, regulators, businesses, academic institutions and charities have teamed up to form a groundbreaking new partnership to catalyse sustainability initiatives in the veterinary sector. The Veterinary Sustainability Roundtable, convened by Vet Sustain, held its inaugural meeting at RCVS Headquarters on 3rd October.
The Roundtable is a precompetitive space for sustainability solutions, partnerships, and education projects, with the aim of situating sustainability at the heart of the veterinary sector. Driven by the group’s collective concern for the multiple sustainability challenges facing the industry and society, it aims to leverage the unique role of veterinary professionals to help regenerate the health and wellbeing of animals, people and the planet balanced alongside profit.
Three workstreams are being devised to tackle specific challenges that the veterinary sector is uniquely placed to address. These workstreams will be clearly linked to the ‘6Ws’ – Vet Sustain’s veterinary sustainability goals for welfare, wildlife, wellbeing, warming, waste, and water – and will be chaired and implemented by Roundtable members with support from Vet Sustain and subject matter experts.
“We’re excited to bring together this unique group of leaders, to face some of the most challenging issues facing the profession and wider society”, said Laura Gelder-Robertson, CEO of Vet Sustain. “During our inaugural meeting we created fertile ground for our future work together by clarifying competition regulations, co-creating our grounding principles, and exploring focus topics during an ideas lab.”
David Black, a Founding Director and Treasurer of Vet Sustain, said “This is the start of an important and very exciting journey for the veterinary sector. This event was all about finding common ground and continuing to build relationships both in- and outside of the veterinary sector, and we look forward to supporting the group’s next steps to drive lasting change.”
The Roundtable invites all organisations across the veterinary sector and related animal health sectors interested in driving sustainability to join the group, by emailing Laura Gelder-Robertson at [email protected].
Delegates at the inaugural Veterinary Sustainability Roundtable at RCVS’ Headquarters in London.
About the Veterinary Sustainability Roundtable (VSR)
The VSR is a collective of organisations and businesses working within the veterinary sector and committed to catalysing sustainability action in our professions and the animal sectors. Its Founding Members include: Animalcare, British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA), BOVA UK, British Veterinary Association (BVA), British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), CVS, Dechra, Iechyd Da, Investors in the Environment (iiE)/PECT, IVC Evidensia, Mars Veterinary Health Group, MWI Animal Health, National Office of Animal Health (NOAH), Pets at Home, SageTech Veterinary, Society of Practicing Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS), The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Bristol, The Webinar Vet, VET.CT, Veterinary Defence Society, Veterinary Management Group (VMG), Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Veterinary Sustainability Network Ireland, Vetnique Home of YuMOVE, VetPartners, VetSalus and XLVets UK.
About Vet Sustain
Vet Sustain is a UK-based not-for-profit social enterprise working to enable and inspire veterinary professionals to continually improve the health and wellbeing of animals, people and the environment. We help veterinary professionals to learn, connect and lead though our tools, training and network, centred around our Veterinary Sustainability Goals (the ‘6Ws’). Vet Sustain is the Secretariat for the VSR. For more information, visit www.vetsustain.org.
