At Davies Veterinary Specialists (Davies) we are extremely pleased to be working towards our Silver level accreditation from Investors in the Environment (iiE) for our sustainability initiatives. The accreditation will formally recognise our practice’s commitment to promoting environmentally-friendly activities and reducing our carbon footprint.
The detrimental impact that some human activities have on the environment is now well recognised. The British medical publication The Lancet has called climate change “the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.” It is associated with physical, developmental and mental health disorders as well as aggravated chronic illnesses and the spread of infectious diseases. Many Individuals, charities, businesses and governments around the world, including the healthcare sector, are taking action against climate change and we hope this movement spreads into the veterinary sector.
Investors in the Environment is an environmental accreditation scheme designed to help businesses save money and reduce their environmental impact. The Davies Green Group was established in February 2017 by a group of enthusiastic team members comprising veterinary, maintenance, reception and kennel assistant representatives, to promote and deploy environmentally friendly activities in the work place. Davies hopes to lead and support the UK’s veterinary sector by helping other practices to operate in a more sustainable way.
Davies Green Group chairperson Patricia Ibarrola, who is an Internal Medicine specialist, said: “Our accreditation will support our endeavours to achieve a more sustainable and environmentally aware culture in our workplace and staff. We hope our endeavours will also have a positive impact on our clients, referring veterinary practices and national bodies and will provide inspiration and support for other practices to follow suit.”
The Group has identified four key goals: to reduce the practice’s carbon emissions and resource consumption, to improve recycling and waste management, to procure sustainability and to give greater support to environmental initiatives. You can view our Environmental Policy here.