NZVA's climate change journey
In 2022, the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) began exploring ways we can support climate change action. The climate change emergency is intrinsically linked to One Health and environmental sustainability, which is one of our member priorities.
In 2023, we engaged Ekos to help us calculate our carbon footprint between 1 January and 31 December 2022. The numbers below have been audited by Ekos; we have also estimated figures for 2023 and 2024.
| Activity | CO2 tonnes | CO2 percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Business travel | 48.03 | 84% |
| Fuel and energy related emissions | 5.13 | 9% |
| Purchased electricity | 2.52 | 4% |
| Staff commuting | 0.83 | 1% |
| Business waste | 0.62 | 1% |
| Total emissions | 57.13 | |
| Emissions intensity (total emissions divided by FTE) |
3.81 | |
| FTE | 15 |
Download our Carbon Conscious Business Operations certificate from Ekos
We are committed to reducing our carbon emissions and our impact on the environment. This includes:
- measuring our carbon footprint and identifying ways to reduce it
- reducing waste at our head office and at NZVA events
- reusing and recycling materials whenever possible
- hosting one to two Board meetings a year online to reduce the amount of transportation required
- encouraging special interest branches to reduce their transport emissions by hosting more meetings online
- printing VetScript on paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
- investigating renewable energy suppliers.
Every year, South Wairarapa Veterinary Services holds a tree planting day where staff and suppliers get together to plant native trees at the QEII covenant in Carterton.
Our Chief Executive, Kevin Bryant, joined the group for the 2023 tree planting day where they planted a total of 4,500 native seedlings! You can watch the video from the 2023 planting day (featuring an interview with Kevin) below.
Felicity Jefferies and Stephanie Smith prepare for a day of planting native trees.
Jane Ough planting native seedlings at the QEII covenant in Carterton.
