JAVMA paper spotlights fast emissions cuts for veterinary clinics: full analysis

A newly published JAVMA article makes a practical case that veterinary medicine can reduce greenhouse gas emissions fast by tackling energy use first. In “Decarbonizing energy use and enhancing efficiency can rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in veterinary practice,” authors Diccon Westworth and Colleen Duncan describe energy as a major emissions source in practice and position efficiency and decarbonization as near-term, scalable interventions for veterinary hospitals. The paper was listed among JAVMA’s most recent articles on May 22, 2026. (vetlit.org)

The argument builds on a broader sustainability movement already underway in the profession. Earlier work from Westworth and colleagues in Frontiers in Veterinary Science laid out a “path to Net Zero” for veterinary practice, emphasizing that practice leaders can begin immediately with Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, because those are easier to measure and more directly under a clinic’s control. That framework urged practices to build a culture of sustainability, measure and report emissions, set targets, and then prioritize reductions before turning to harder-to-control supply-chain emissions. (frontiersin.org)

That context matters because veterinary emissions are spread across multiple categories. In addition to electricity and building heat, emissions can come from fleet vehicles, refrigerants, waste anesthetic gases, staff commuting, client travel, deliveries, waste, and purchased goods. Westworth’s recent U.S.-focused overview of carbon accounting for clinics notes that the mix varies widely by geography, practice type, and activity, which means each hospital needs its own baseline rather than relying on sector averages. (todaysveterinarypractice.com)

The operational message is straightforward: start where data already exist. Utility bills, fuel use, maintenance records, and purchasing invoices can help practices quantify current emissions and identify the biggest hotspots. The same article on carbon accounting recommends high-impact interventions that align closely with the new JAVMA paper’s framing, including electrifying heating, cooling, water heating, dryers, and vehicles; reducing anesthetic gas emissions; transitioning to renewable electricity when available; and improving efficiency to cut overall energy demand. (todaysveterinarypractice.com)

Industry and expert commentary around veterinary sustainability has been moving in the same direction. Today’s Veterinary Practice recently highlighted the Veterinary Sustainability Alliance’s V-CALC tool, an open-access U.S. calculator designed to help clinics quantify emissions across Scope 1, 2, and 3 categories and turn those findings into reduction plans. Separately, practical guidance published for clinics in North America has identified heating and cooling as a major energy burden and stressed that sustained gains often depend as much on team behavior and culture as on equipment upgrades. (todaysveterinarypractice.com)

There are also signs that some parts of the profession are already testing visible decarbonization steps. VCA Animal Care Center of Sonoma County announced in 2024 that it had shifted to 100% renewable electricity through Sonoma Clean Power, offering one example of how a hospital can address purchased electricity emissions without waiting for a full facility rebuild. In surgery and anesthesia, veterinary groups have also published “green theatre” guidance, reflecting growing attention to energy-intensive clinical spaces and the climate impact of inhalant anesthetics. (vcahospitals.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the significance of this paper is that it keeps sustainability grounded in familiar practice-management decisions. Energy efficiency, electrification, and better procurement are not abstract climate goals; they touch capital planning, staffing workflows, equipment replacement cycles, and client-facing policies. They may also intersect with cost control, especially where efficiency upgrades lower utility use or where renewable electricity options are competitively priced. Just as important, starting with measurable emissions sources can give clinics a more credible foundation before they tackle tougher Scope 3 categories such as pharmaceuticals, devices, and broader supply-chain purchasing. (todaysveterinarypractice.com)

What to watch: The next phase is likely to center on adoption, not awareness: more clinics establishing emissions baselines, more benchmarking tools tailored to veterinary settings, and more scrutiny of which interventions produce the fastest reductions without disrupting care. Watch, too, for follow-on guidance around procurement, anesthetic gases, and facility retrofits, where veterinary medicine is beginning to borrow more directly from human healthcare decarbonization playbooks. (todaysveterinarypractice.com)