The Royal Veterinary College recognises the unprecedented global challenges posed by the climate and wider issues of sustainability and we need to strengthen our commitment and action across the College. Our Environmental Sustainability Vision is that the RVC makes a positive impact through continually improving our environmental sustainability performance and embedding sustainability considerations into decision making throughout the organisation.

We have committed to become Net Zero by 2040 and are undertaking work to develop our plans to bring this date forward. This work includes:

• Heating decarbonisation study to replace gas boilers with air source heat pumps and solar panels
• Review of all of our buildings for energy saving opportunities and increasing renewable energy generation
• Participating in Farming for Carbon and Nature to determine how much carbon is being captured in our soil
• Biodiversity Action Plan 
• Developing a full carbon footprint including Scope 3 emissions 
• Investigating opportunities for rainwater capture

Our new Environmental Sustainability Strategy was published in 2023. It focusses on 7 key areas: