• Report details a Group commitment to science-based targets for net-zero by 2050, with 65% of electricity already from renewable sources
• 1.8 million syringes have been replaced with alternative models, saving 1.3 tonnes of virgin plastic 
• Over 2,700 animals were given lifesaving treatment through the IVC Evidensia Care Fund, with additional support given to more than 700 Ukrainian refugee pets
• Across the UK, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, antibiotic use has reduced from 17% to 9.9% year-on-year

One year after the launch of its Positive Pawprint sustainability strategy, leading veterinary care provider IVC Evidensia has published an update on its progress and achievements within the programme.

The annual sustainability report includes a commitment to reduce the operational (Scope 1 and 2) carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 through initiatives including increased use of renewable energy and low flow anaesthetic gas usage, with a goal to ultimately reach carbon neutral by 2050. 

IVC Evidensia’s Positive Pawprint strategy aims to protect the health and happiness of people and their pets while reducing the group’s environmental impact and promoting a cleaner and more sustainable environment. A powerful statement of the business’s belief in setting and sharing new standards of sustainability in animal health, the strategy is based on three pillars: People, Planet and Patients.

On its 2021 launch, targets were set across IVC Evidensia operations worldwide with a commitment to report against those targets.

Duncan Phillips, UK and Ireland CEO said: “Embedding a sustainable business is core to our UK strategy.  Every member of our team is passionate about sustainability and I’m proud of the progress made during 2022 to develop and implement plans in support of all three pillars of the IVC Evidensia Group’s Positive Pawprint commitments.

“As one of the largest veterinary groups in the UK, we have a responsibility to use our scale and influence to improve standards of sustainability, both within our own operations and more widely in the veterinary profession. Positive Pawprint is our way of making sure we are developing for the benefit of our team, the veterinary industry and the world around us.”

The 2022 report highlights several achievements across the group globally against each pillar, with some of the key UK achievements being as follows:

People

IVC Evidensia is one of the UK’s largest veterinary care providers, and its team is very much at the heart of the business, fuelling the huge strides that have been taken against this pillar over the last 12 months. 

As well as bolstering its network of 300 Mental Health First Aiders and Wellbeing Champions, programmes which were launched in 2020, the business has introduced a range of menopause support initiatives and carried out a full review of flexible working policies. This has led to improved annual leave for thousands of team members, enhanced pay and working conditions across the team, better sick pay and the introduction of private medical insurance for vet nurses.

One of the Positive Pawprint strategy’s goals is to have women in half of all senior roles in IVC Evidensia by 2025 with 45% of these roles currently held by women. 

The group also piloted a leadership programme for practice staff designed to improve gender balance in critical roles and develop a pipeline of future veterinary care leaders. The Artemis Emerging Leaders programme saw 56 participants across 11 countries including the UK, 85% of whom were women. 

Alongside gender balance, IVC Evidensia is also focused on improving diversity within the UK veterinary profession, awarding 17 ethnic diversity scholarships over the last 12 months against its target of funding 65 scholarships between vets and vet nurses by 2025.

Recognising the important part that IVC Evidensia clinics play in their local communities, over £104,000 worth of grants have been provided to 147 charities and non-profit organisations which have been nominated by team members across the Group. 

Planet

65% of electricity across IVC Evidensia sites is already being generated from renewable sources, with the aim of reaching 85% by December 2023. The Group has also agreed a science-based decarbonisation strategy which will reduce operational (Scope 1 and 2) emissions by 50% and has committed to a Net-Zero target of 2050 for greenhouse gas emissions. Energy reduction initiatives have been rolled out across UK practices, cutting energy consumption by over 30% in many cases.

A recycling programme has been launched in the UK which accepts previously hard-to-recycle medical blister packs and nutritional supplement syringes. 1.8m syringes have been replaced with models which use 30% less plastic, saving 1.3million tonnes of virgin plastic each year. 

This year, IVC Evidensia will launch a training programme across its UK practices that will focus on teaching low flow techniques to reduce the volume of anaesthetic gas used in surgery, minimising the environmental impact without any compromise to patient welfare.

Patients

IVC Evidensia’s commitment to animals and their owners is to provide world-class veterinary care, delivered locally. Combining the passion and skills of its team members and non-clinical support staff creates a powerful, collective driving force for good and gives practice teams the opportunity to innovate and achieve professional excellence in the care they provide.  The Positive Pawprint commitments focus on the positive impacts the business can make on global issues, for example, through the responsible use of antibiotics.

Recognising the importance of antimicrobial resistance as a worldwide health threat, IVC Evidensia has set a target of reducing antibiotic use to 5% by 2030. Over the last 12 months it has already reduced from 17% to 9.9% in clinics across the UK, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

Almost 6.5m animals were treated in IVC Evidensia Group practices across the world in the last 12 months, with the IVC Evidensia Care Fund facilitating life-saving treatment of more than 2,700 animals. 700 Ukrainian refugee pets were also treated under this fund in practices across Europe.

Case studies

Three IVC Evidensia UK practices have already become Positive Pawprint partners since the scheme launched in 2021, with the business aiming to recruit over 100 in the next 12 months. Many clinics are already working through the Positive Pawprint Toolkit which provides step-by-step guidance on how to improve sustainability locally. 

Initiatives undertaken so far include water-saving measures, waste reduction and recycling, the nomination of wellbeing champions and the installation of bird boxes in a bee friendly garden to encourage wildlife.  Positive Pawprint Partners currently include Rhyd Broughton Vets in North Wales, Cogges Vets in Witney and the Neighbourhood Vets in London.

Find out more about what Positive Pawprint partner practice Rhyd Broughton has done as part of the programme in this case study video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yf3XvEDB40&t=1s  

For more information on IVC Evidensia and Positive Pawprint view the full report at www.ivcevidensia.com/positivepawprint