May 2025
NZ Climate Care Program- Vets for Climate Action
NZ Climate Care Program- Vets for Climate Action
VetSalus partnered with Vets for Climate Action on their Climate Care Program in New Zealand.
In 2025, VetSalus were delighted to partner with Vets for Climate Action (VfCA), a charitable organisation committed to providing a voice for all animals in the face of climate change. The project integrated the Veterinary Carbon Calculator into VfCA’s Climate Care Program which was launched in New Zealand at the NZVA conference on 4th to 6th June 2025.
The Climate Care Program is an innovative, online toolkit providing the practical steps and knowledge to integrate sustainable solutions into busy veterinary practice. Created by vets and vet nurses for veterinary teams, the Program is designed to be realistic and workable in a busy veterinary practice and guide users every step of the way to make meaningful, sustainable changes. The program is already active in Australia and was launched in New Zealand by Vets for Climate Action with support from Jane Ough, Climate Change Ambassador for The New Zealand Veterinary Association.
The Veterinary Carbon calculator has been developed by VetSalus and Vet Sustain with the technical support of IiE; based on the design originally launched by Vet Sustain in the UK in 2022. This climate tool calculates the carbon footprint of a veterinary practice, taking into account emissions for electricity, consumption, travel, water and anaesthetic gases, based on typical veterinary operations. This makes it simpler and more straightforward for practice owners to manage their climate data and take action to reduce their carbon hotspots. Practices are able to benchmark themselves against other practices both nationally and internationally.
- Stefany Goldring, CEO of Vets for Climate Action was thrilled to partner with VetSalus and Vet Sustain:
- “The integration of Vet Salus’ Veterinary Carbon Calculator into our Climate Care Program adds a powerful tool into this online toolkit to support veterinary practices on their sustainability journey. The Calculator provides a clear way to measure carbon emissions complementing the Program which provides the steps to reduce them. We’re proud to support veterinarians in becoming sustainability leaders—because climate care is animal care.”
- Dr Jane Ough, NZVA’s Climate Change Ambassador said of the launch:
- “As veterinarians we are advocates for animal health and welfare and public health. We have a responsibility to protect ecosystem health and demand action to minimise climate change. Vets for Climate Action’s Climate Care Program gives New Zealand and Australian veterinarians the tools to reduce the climate and environmental effects of our profession, and demonstrate climate action leadership within our communities. Working with Vets for Climate Action and VetSalus to achieve this has been an inspiring example of collaboration. As Climate Ambassador for the NZVA, I couldn’t be more proud of the NZVA’s support for this initiative. I hope to see a rapid uptake of the Climate Care Program across the profession.”
Mark Bryan, Director of VetSalus New Zealand, was keen to see the tool incorporated with education support for the New Zealand veterinary profession:
This partnership delivered an educational resource and carbon calculation tool which has been specifically adapted for clinics in Aotearoa, and we were proud to launch this alongside our colleagues at Vets for Climate Action. Our farmer clients are being asked to understand and reduce their emissions, and as part of their supply chain we (veterinarians) need to be comfortable in this space too. VetSalus looks forward to seeing the Climate Care Program rolled out across New Zealand, with many more veterinary practices completing a carbon calculation and reducing their operation footprint.
Registration for the Climate Care Program is open to all veterinary practices located within Australia and New Zealand. Users can choose between an annual subscription or monthly payments. To get started on your Climate Care journey, choose a subscription option and register your details. If you’d like to register 4 or more clinics, please contact the VfCA team for group subscription payments and to arrange registration.
Integration of the Veterinary Carbon Calculator within the VfCA Climate Care Program provides veterinary practices with a ‘One Stop Shop’ for sustainability education and support, tailored specifically to the veterinary profession. VetSalus was delighted to partner with VfCA on this initiative, and looks forward to working with them in the future.
VetSalus working together with:
