9 Jul 2025
Bosses insist they have “a duty to be responsible” as they set out their plans for change across the next two decades.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
VetPartners Sustainability Manager Kelly Forster, second left, with members of the Minster Vets Green Team that helped the practice achieve the Investors in the Environment Green award
A major veterinary care provider has pledged “ambitious” actions to achieve its aim of reaching net zero by 2045.
VetPartners has outlined measures including transitioning to electric vehicles, sourcing renewable energy and working with suppliers to reduce carbon levels, which it hopes will help it to reach the target.The group has worked with consultants from Simply Sustainable on the project, which also has intermediate targets of cutting greenhouses gas emissions by 59% of 2023 levels by 2034 and 90% by 2040.
Bosses have also pledged to publish annual updates on its progress and said the targets account for both current and planned activities, as well as expected economic and government policy changes.
Environmental, social and governance group head Hannah James described the pledge as “an exciting milestone” and said the pledges were “anchored” in climate science.
She said: “We won’t become complacent as we are committed to achieving some big step changes in our emissions as we work towards these targets.”
Chief executive Jo Malone added: “The veterinary profession is extremely caring by nature and looking after the planet is a natural extension of looking after pets, animals and wildlife. We have a duty to be responsible for our impact on the environment.”
The announcement follows a range of environmental initiatives in the past few years, including investment in energy efficiency, switching to renewable energy and reducing waste via recycling services.
The group has also received BSAVA Petsavers grant funding for research into the deployment of reusable surgical drapes in what it says is the largest study of its kind in the veterinary sector.
