Toward a Better World

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY PLAN 2025–2030

Addressing climate and nature related impact and risk is both our responsibility and an opportunity to embrace meaningful change for a more resilient future. Together with our colleagues, partners, branches, supporters, peers and communities, we will use this five year plan to work towards a better world for every kind.

Overview

Animals need a stable climate and healthy environment to thrive, with many playing a key role in keeping ecosystems balanced and storing carbon.

Right now, animals are hit hardest by climate change and environmental degradation - they're losing their homes, facing extreme weather and encountering increased risks of diseases. The climate and nature crises is the biggest challenge facing animal welfare in our time.

A black and white cat laying down in the grass while sniffing flowers. — A black and white cat sniffing a bluebell in a meadow

Our responsibilities

As an animal welfare charity, we have both a responsibility and an opportunity to address these challenges. By doing so, we:

Strengthen our mission

To make sure animals live good lives.

Have a bigger impact

Beyond just what we do directly - influence our suppliers, peers, supporters, colleagues and partners too.

Save money

By using less resources and being more efficient, while helping protect the planet.

Meet expectations

Meet what people inside and outside our organisation expect from us when it comes to environmental sustainability.

Reduce risks

Reduce risks and get ready for future challenges resulting from climate change and nature loss so we can keep doing our work.

Alignment with

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

We all have a responsibility to contribute to the UN SDGs. Our purpose is to Inspire everyone to create a better world for all animals. The work done by the RSPCA — internally, within our communities, in the UK and internationally — contributes positively to the majority of the SDGs.

A better world requires a healthy planet. In developing our environmental sustainability plan, we considered where we could make the greatest contribution towards the SDGs and identified six of the goals (6,7,12,13,15 & 17) and associated targets to focus on over the next five years. As all the SDGs are interconnected, we expect that our impact on these six will have a positive ripple effect across several of the other goals.

6: Clean water and sanitation. 7: Affordable and clean energy. 12: Responsible consumption and production. 13: Climate action. 15: Life on land. 17: Partnerships for the goals.

Enablers of success

Governance, Accountability and Transparency

A cross-functional Environmental Sustainability Steering Committee will oversee progress and ensure accountability. This Committee will report quarterly to our Executive Director for Strategy & Transformation (Plan Champion) and ultimately to the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Trustees.

Regular reporting on our performance will keep stakeholders informed and maintain transparency with regard to progress.

Standards, Collaboration and Partnerships

Ongoing review of sustainability frameworks and standards to ensure our plan is aligned with best practice and regulations, should reporting or disclosure standards become a legal requirement for our organisation.

Learning from leaders in the charity and private sectors to implement innovative approaches for meeting requirements or improving performance. Strengthening partnerships with our branches, peers, communities and within the private sector to amplify our impact.

data and monitoring

Accessible, high quality, timely data, essential for developing baselines, target setting and performance monitoring. Internal capacity and capability to monitor and interpret complex data.

Knowledge, Capability and Capacity

Embedding recognition across the organisation that animal well-being, the environment and society are intrinsically connected.

Including sustainability in every decision, ensuring it is a guiding principle across all organisational levels and functions.

Acquiring knowledge and skills to apply that understanding rigorously, leading to sound, scientific decision-making.

Stakeholder insight

Engagement with stakeholders to ensure that through this plan we continue to meet expectations as regards sustainability.

An integrated approach

Our plan takes an integrated approach to the interdependent crises of climate change and nature loss. We must focus on restoring and protecting nature, an ally in the fight against climate change and crucial to the welfare of animals.

This holistic approach ensures that we contribute to a better world for all animals and helps secure the RSPCA’s long-term resilience, enabling it to continue its mission for the next 200 years and beyond.