Why bother to calculate the carbon footprint of your practice?

Everyone who has lived in New Zealand knows it is a very special place: we don’t call it ‘Godzone’ for nothing! Of course, we also know that New Zealand is “clean and green”: after all we have an international reputation for our pristine environment. So why should any veterinary business in New Zealand be concerned about its precise carbon footprint?

The country’s data is surely meaningless on the world stage? It is easy to apply such logic when viewing the matter from a global perspective. While it is true that New Zealand only emits about 0.17% of total global carbon dioxide, it is also true that on a per head basis, the emissions are concerning. The average kiwi emits 7-8 metric tonnes of CO2 per annum, which is high on a worldwide basis. Many Western countries emit more than thirty times the CO2 weight of poorer countries, but at least New Zealand’s emissions on a per head basis are lower than many comparable countries such as Australia, Canada or USA (1). And while our electricity production is cleaner than most, with a high percentage originating from hydroelectric and geothermal sources, agriculture and transportation carry considerable carbon emissions and both are vital aspects of New Zealand’s economy.

The country’s carbon footprint is reducing steadily but as the planet approaches a climate crisis, the existence of which very few people now debate, every tonne of carbon dioxide not emitted, is an important step in the right direction (2).

Veterinarians have an important leadership responsibility; we are viewed by our clients as trusted advisors when technical matters are being discussed, even in a social environment. Thus, however small and insignificant you feel New Zealand’s carbon footprint to be, you will be better equipped to discuss the matter if you know the details of your own practices situation.

Another very important reason for calculating your practice’s footprint is that, very soon, suppliers and customers will be asking for it. Internationally, market access is becoming increasingly dependent upon suppliers being able to provide details of their carbon footprints. These are generally categorised into three types:

Scope 1: from owned or totally controlled sources
Scope 2: indirect emissions from electricity, heating and cooling used by your company
Scope 3: indirect emissions originating from further up or down the value chain.

One recent example of this is in New Zealand, is the initiative undertaken by Fonterra to reduce the carbon footprint of its products, including a 50% reduction of Scope 1 & 2 by 2030 and a 30% reduction in the intensity of their Scope 3 (3). Due to the connected nature of veterinary and farm business, practice emissions contribute to a farm’s Scope 3 emissions, meaning Fonterra farmers will be asking you for your carbon footprint data soon!

Dairy cow

Whether your practice is predominantly agricultural or companion animal, it will have a carbon footprint that can almost certainly be reduced. But before you begin considering a reduction project, you have to accurately measure what your existing footprint is. It was the management guru, Peter Drucker, who famously once said, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” (4)

And while there are generic calculators available, which make broad assumptions about carbon consumption, your veterinary practice will be different; veterinary businesses are complex organisations that do not usually fit simple templates.

If you are in farm practice, you will almost certainly have a carbon footprint linked to travel and transportation which will be higher than most other businesses. Similarly if you are in the companion animal sector there will be anaesthetic gases and other medicines which require specific and accurate calculations. And refrigeration emissions are important to all veterinary businesses which will usually have several refrigerators, containing more than milk for the next coffee!

At VetSalus we have been aware of this issue for some time now and we have been working with our colleagues at Vet Sustain, to produce a veterinary specific calculator. This has now been successfully launched in the United Kingdom and Denmark and will be launched in New Zealand in the coming weeks; the calculator is currently in beta testing mode. The second of these articles will look at the calculator and the information you will need to use it : the “how” rather than the “why”.

LMG Aug 2024

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