As the stressed negotiators and delegates leave Glasgow and the politicians begin to talk up the success of the event, the rest of us might be excused for wondering what has been achieved? A number of voluntary decisions have hit the headlines including resolutions on deforestation, methane reduction and “phasing down” of fossil fuel emissions. But the reality is that these are, in the main, voluntary resolutions and there is little or no way of enforcing them. The prospects of keeping the global warming target at 1.5C are rapidly waning.

With the high media profile being generated by COP-26 it is not too surprising to find methane back in the headlines again. What is maybe surprising to anyone looking for a logical science based approach, is the frequency with which the words dairy industry and methane appear in the same sentence. This VetSalus bulletin will reinforce a few basic scientific facts about methane. Over the coming weeks we will also produce some in-depth articles on COP-26 topics.

Here are a few facts about methane and its impact upon climate change:

At the recent BCVA Congress, VetSalus Managing Director, David Black, presented a paper entitled “Embracing Sustainability In Veterinary Practice”.

Below is a summary of the key points:

Sustainable farming systems are critical to successfully tackling the climate and ecological crises and vet-led teams involved in agriculture have an essential role to play.

Our planet is facing a catastrophic environmental crisis including:

Introduction:

Since signing up to the SME Climate commitment, ‘Race to Zero’, earlier in the year VetSalus has begun to turn its focus to the carbon footprint generated by the business. As part of the commitment, VetSalus is required to report annually on progress, with the intention of halving our emissions by 2030 and becoming net zero by 2050. As VetSalus is a small organisation, it was assumed that this would be a relatively simple project. It soon became clear that this is not a simple topic.

Emily Gascoigne is part of our network of experts, read below to find out a little more about her work.

Elizabeth Kolbert’s “The Sixth Extinction”, which was awarded the Pullitzer Prize for General Non-fiction in 2015, provided a grim account of the arrival of the ‘anthrophocene’, a new epoch in the earth’s geological history, in which human beings have for the first time become the primary agents of change on a planetary scale. The book described the current carnage of the world's biomass, which is now predicted to be the most devastating since the asteroid impact which destroyed the dinosaurs.

Robert Hyde is part of our network of experts, read below to find out a little more about his work.

Within the veterinary community there is a growing appreciation of the focus our clients and governments are placing on food security and the climate. The veterinary industry has an important role to play in supporting the achievement of these new targets and making changes economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

Mark Burnell is part of our network of experts, read below to find out a little more about his work.