VDS awarded Green Accreditation for fourth consecutive year

The Veterinary Defence Society (VDS) is pleased to announce that we have been awarded Green Level Accreditation – the highest level awarded by Investors in the Environment (iiE), our external accrediting body - for the fourth year running.

We were also recognised as runners-up in the Investors in the Environment (iiE) Awards 2025 for the Overall Achievers category, reflecting the progress delivered across the organisation.

This highlights our ongoing commitment to improving our environmental performance and embedding sustainability in how we operate and support our members in the veterinary professions.

Alongside this milestone, we’ve pulled together the latest updates on our sustainability approach, priorities and progress on our website, including our Impact Report and Environmental Policy, which set out how we are measuring, managing and reducing our environmental impact, as well as strengthening our wider social contribution.

→ Read more on our Sustainability page

Our sustainability work builds on more than 160 years of supporting veterinary professionals, recognising that the future of the professions is closely linked to the health of the environment they work within.

“Sustainability is a strategic priority for us,” said Jo Stonehewer, Director of Membership at the VDS. “It shapes how we run our organisation day-to-day, and how we support the professions in a changing world. This recognition reflects a collective effort across the VDS to better understand our impact and take practical steps to reduce it – and we’re committed to continuing that progress.”

Over time, we have steadily improved how we measure our impact, using more detailed data to guide where action can have the greatest effect.

Our Environmental Policy underpins this work, setting out clear commitments including reducing resource use, minimising waste and improving environmental performance year-on-year.

Explore our sustainability work

You can explore our sustainability page to learn more, including: 

• Our latest Impact Report
• Our Environmental Policy
• Our Net Zero Commitment

This work is supported by practical action across the organisation, including:

• Transitioning to a renewable electricity tariff, with Scope 2 market-based emissions at zero
• Reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions from 28.89 tCO2e in 2019 to zero in 2025
• A 10% reduction in total emissions in 2025, compared to the previous year, alongside improved measurement and reporting
• Expanding carbon footprint tracking to better understand impacts from homeworking, travel and digital infrastructure
• Offsetting our remaining emissions by supporting wider environmental impacts through initiatives like The Russas Project and the Ceará Renewable Energy Project in Brazil.

We’ll continue to build on this progress in the years ahead, supporting a future where veterinary professionals, the animals they care for and the planet we share can all thrive.