Strategy
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.
Background
Six of the nine planetary boundaries have been transgressed, with compounding, far-reaching and potentially irreversible effects. (Ref: Stockholm Resilience Centre: Planetary Boundaries).
Sustainability depends on a myriad of interactions.
The key boundaries for animals are Climate Change, Biosphere Integrity and Land System Change.
Key Boundaries for Animals
Biosphere Integrity – Humanity’s escalating ecological overshoot demands over 70% more from nature than ecosystems can regenerate. (Ref: Global Footprint Network)
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, as outlined below, to help steer us back toward a livable planet . (Appendix 4.)
Why Vets?
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 modelling 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, mitigating the spread of animal and zoonotic disease and 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 stresses, 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 wellbeing of our profession, which is increasingly under threat.
Vision and Purpose
Vision
The veterinary profession collaborating globally to achieve a sustainable planet.
Purpose
To inspire, connect, guide and facilitate the veterinary profession in their work and collaborations with people, governments, industry and institutions to achieve a sustainable planet.
Theory of Change
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.
Guiding Principles
WVEA supports global action to:
- Rapidly accelerate the transition to renewable energy while phasing out fossil fuels.
- Stop deforestation and native forest logging, and substantially increase reforestation.
- 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
- Minimise the negative impacts of veterinary healthcare and agriculture systems, including chemicals.
- Implement circularity, sustainability and emissions reduction through the veterinary profession.
WVEA’s 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.
WVEA's Mission
WVEA empowers the veterinary profession to ‘Act Locally, and Collaborate Globally’ as we inspire, share and scale important work already being achieved locally.
Through partnership with national and multinational veterinary and animal care associations, veterinary business and corporates, universities, students, zoos, conservation groups, and veterinary sustainability organisations, WVEA can both scale practical action and bring together powerful advocates for animals, who have no voice to speak.
Focus Areas
Influence all veterinary sectors – veterinary practitioners and allied associates, academics, government, corporate and industry sectors, through:
Education
So that all veterinary sectors – veterinary practitioners and allied associates, academics, government, corporate and industry sectors – can understand and respond practically to the impacts of climate change, land system change and pollution on livestock, wildlife, companion animals and One Health and the adaptations required. For example, the Climate Facts for Vets October 2021 handout.
Advocacy and Policy
- Veterinary – 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Support the prosperity and wellbeing of veterinary and animal care professions as they work on the frontline.
Practical Sustainability and Emissions Reduction, in-practice, and on-farm
- Promote and share effective sustainability, circularity and emissions reduction programs for use in-practice and on-farm. For example the Climate Action Program.
- Explore accreditation processes for veterinary practices.
- Drive sustainable low emissions agriculture, with due consideration for animal welfare.
- Understand both the coming legal responsibility, and immense business opportunity, of a swift response.
Modus Operandi
- Engage veterinary organisations to formally join WVEA.
- Share ideas, resources, speakers, submissions, forums, academic papers, films, podcasts, programs and plans through the WVEA website.
- Establish working groups to define and implement outcomes.
- Communicate emerging and established work with members.
- Facilitate focused roundtable discussions with veterinary stakeholders
Financial Support
- WVEA requires paid staff to escalate its work at the scale required and welcomes the financial support of its members and industry partners. Membership fees are currently optional, and pro-rated for global fairness.
Governance & Structure
World Veterinary Environmental Alliance (WVEA) is an initiative of Veterinarians for Climate Action Ltd (VfCA), (Australian Business Number 16 636 944 191), an ACNC registered charity in Australia. VfCA intends for WVEA to evolve into an independent global organisation, facilitating the veterinary profession to act locally, and collaborate globally, on climate change, sustainability and biodiversity.
WVEA Policies will be reviewed and authorised by the VfCA board before official release.
Phase One (current) – Network, connect and inspire. Receive feedback from potential endorsers and partners. Development of concept, strategy, website, branding, funding, policies and business plan.
Phase Two – Hire staff to deliver strategy & operations. Attract support from the profession, industry and philanthropy through sponsorship, grants and voluntary membership programs.
Phase Three – Explore independent governance for WVEA.
Become a Supporter
Join eminent professionals such as Professor Peter Doherty (Nobel Laureate & Veterinarian), Dr Mark Schipp (Former President WOAH, Former Chief Vet Australia), Dr Rafael Laguens (Former President World Vet Association), leading Veterinary Associations, Universities, and Veterinary Sustainability Organisations.