Libby's lecture kickstarted the sustainability stream by looking at the climate crisis we are facing.

Dr Libby Kemkaran-Thompson provides an overview of the climate crisis.

Sustainability went under the spotlight at BSAVA Congress on Friday (26 March), in the first of a series of educational lectures asking ‘can the profession go green?’

The session was led by Vet Sustain director Dr Libby Kemkaran-Thompson, who provided a thought-provoking overview of the climate crisis we are facing. Her take-home message was that ‘the time is now’ to tackle climate change, and while there are things individuals can do, the power to effect change comes with having a better, more collaborative strategy. 

Recent years have seen the global temperatures rise dramatically, so much so that medical journal The Lancet recently dubbed it ‘the biggest global health threat of the 21st century’. Libby pointed out that 19 of the 20 hottest years on record have occurred since 2001, with the hottest being in 2016. 

"This heat is a problem in itself in many parts of the world," Libby explained, "affecting not only people but also animals, crops and our weather". On a global basis, more than 90 per cent of all extra heat energy trapped by our atmosphere is going into the oceans, she continued, which makes ocean-based storms like cyclones stronger and even more destructive. 

Libby went on to explain that extreme precipitation events have produced more rain, and become more common since the 1950s in many regions around the world. “If large parts of these cities become uninhabitable, where will these people go? she stressed. “We’re talking about a massive refugee crisis connected to the climate crisis. It’s going to be huge, as well as more pandemic diseases, water shortages and food shortages.

“We have to think about the medical links to this, and that’s why I’m passionate about working at Vet Sustain to make sure that we’re doing our bit as a profession. Climate change is a medical emergency. Infectious diseases, heat stress, air pollution and water-borne diseases are all influenced by this change in our climate, and not in our favour.”

Dr Kemkaran-Thomson's lecture preceded further lectures in BSAVA's sustainability stream, providing delegates with the tips, tools and techniques to make real change happen in the veterinary sector. The full presentation will be available to watch shortly on the BSAVA website.