Many veterinary businesses question the value of calculating their carbon footprint. After all, it isn't a mandatory requirement and in 2025 we saw many governments rolling back their Net Zero ambitions. The daily demands of veterinary practice, from early morning farm visits to seemingly endless paperwork, often pushes sustainability goals to the bottom of the priority list.
At VetSalus, we believe that sustainability is more than just a moral obligation; it can be a powerful catalyst for business efficiency and competitive advantage in an increasingly scrutinised marketplace. This perspective is backed by data: the Willow Review (2025) found that among UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), 67% reported lower operational costs after adopting sustainable practices, 56% cited direct cost savings, and 52% reported attracting new customers as a result.
VetSalus and Vet Sustain have partnered with Investors in the Environment (iiE) to develop the Veterinary Carbon Calculator, the only tool of its kind tailored to the unique challenges that veterinary practices face in calculating their carbon footprint. The tool is available for veterinary businesses in the UK, New Zealand and Denmark with a range of supporting materials to support users when calculating their footprint for the first time.
Paragon Veterinary Group have been using the tool for a number of years (alongside their iiE accreditation). Their Green Group, led by Laura Binnie, were conscious that making any sustainability changes within a business can impact profitability. With this in mind, the Paragon team conducted a cost analysis study, using utility figures corrected to today’s prices, to ascertain whether the breadth of sustainability changes they have implemented have had a negative impact on the financial bottom line.Â
The table below demonstrates how sustainability changes have impacted business spend.Â
Spend Area | Saving (or cost) from 2022 to 2024 (ÂŁ) | Reasons |
|---|---|---|
Electric (kWh) | 2608.54 |
|
Gas (kWh) | -52.93 |
|
Wood Chips (tonnes) | -652.8 |
|
Water (m3) | 136.47 |
|
Total Waste (kg) | -496.52 |
|
Isoflurane (ml) | 623.7 |
|
Paper (reams) | 115.26 |
|
Transport (total milage) | -1909.43 |
|
Total ÂŁ saved | 372.29 |
David Black, Senior Director at Paragon, said:
The baseline year for this study was 2021, which was a COVID year and therefore the costs were not comparable with staff working from home etc. By conducting this analysis, we are able to demonstrate that doing the “right thing”; by putting more sustainability measures in place, is good for our business and the environment. Whilst the savings have been modest, they are a saving and not a cost. During this time, we have also seen our staff team grow (and therefore our number of staff vehicles), so it is even more encouraging that we have seen operational costs reduced.Â
With the costs of veterinary care coming under increasing security and in light of the CMA review in the UK, we are confident that in the long term these sustainability measures will see real benefits for our clients. Our next step will be to investigate the viability of transitioning our fleet to hybrid or all-electric vehicles.
As well as calculating the carbon impacts of business operations, using the carbon calculator has seen Paragon receive industry recognition, which has helped bring all staff along on their sustainability journey.
Laura Binnie, veterinary surgeon and Sustainability Lead at Paragon Veterinary Group, said:
This initiative has enabled us to clearly demonstrate our commitment to environmental responsibility - both to our staff and our clients. It has also played a key role in securing respected industry accreditations, including iiE Green and the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme Environmental Sustainability award. We now have a clear understanding of the areas that require further attention and can effectively showcase the tangible benefits of our efforts. Being able to present our carbon savings alongside financial savings is a compelling metric that resonates at Board level and helps persuade those who remain unconvinced.
Thank you to Paragon for taking the time to share their experience of the carbon calculator and we look forward to seeing the changes Paragon can make in the future to have a positive impact on animals, people and the planet. If you are interested in taking the first step in assessing your business operations, visit the Vet Sustain website to find out more.