EHC’s Commitment to a Sustainable and Ethical Future
At Erica Honey Consulting, my mission is to build a resilient and thriving veterinary community, equipping people-first (anthropocentric) leaders with the skills they need to create a safe, healthy and functional culture to drive veterinary strategy and operations with their team and for their patients and their caregivers. This commitment extends beyond my direct consulting services to my unwavering dedication to operating ethically and sustainably, guided by strong Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), utilising the ‘AICD Good Governance Principles’. Contemporary business practice states that true success encompasses not just financial prosperity, but also positive impacts on our planet and people. The triple bottom line.
Environmental Stewardship
I actively minimise my environmental footprint in every aspect of my operations, contributing directly to a healthier planet. It’s also key that climate change is mitigated to reduce the severity, frequency and impact of disasters. This aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. By reducing my environmental impact, I contribute to more sustainable urban and regional environments.
SDG 13: Climate Action: I strive to lower my carbon footprint through conscious choices.
This includes:
- Prioritising green transport for all necessary travel, opting for green vehicles or low-emission flights when I must fly, whenever possible.
- Championing reduce, reuse, and recycle (RRR) at every opportunity, from waste sorting and composting to minimising consumption of new resources.
- Leveraging electrical communications for the majority of interactions, significantly reducing the need for minimal printing.
Social Responsibility
My social commitment focuses on ethical conduct, community impact, and fostering a just and inclusive society. This aligns with SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: My work, including my reconciliation efforts, aims to address historical and systemic imbalances.
My approach includes:
- Ethical Sourcing: When engaging other services or suppliers, I prioritise those who align with my ethical values, including fair labour practices and sustainable operations.
- Client & Community Impact: My core consulting work empowers veterinary practices to build more sustainable businesses by improving their people’s well-being, enhancing animal welfare, and strengthening their social license within their communities. I also seek opportunities for pro bono advice or support to animal welfare charities and community initiatives where aligned with my mission, such as the Veterinary and Community Care Charity and Vets for Climate Action (SDG 17 Partnering for the Goals).
- Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP): As an Australian business, I am deeply committed to advancing reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the broader Australian community. I am actively developing a Reconciliation Action Plan to foster respectful relationships, increase cultural understanding through ongoing learning, and explore opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within my sphere of influence. This links with ‘Close the Gap’ and Reconciliation Australia’s national strategies.
I acknowledge the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I live and work in Perth, and pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.
Robust Governance
Sound governance underpins my entire operation, ensuring transparency, integrity, and accountability. This means:
- Ethical Conduct: I adhere strictly to professional codes of conduct for the veterinary and consulting industries, ensuring all my interactions are conducted with the highest levels of integrity and honesty.
- Data Privacy & Security: I maintain rigorous standards for client data privacy and cybersecurity, ensuring all sensitive information is protected with robust systems and practices.
- Financial Integrity: I operate with complete financial transparency, with clear invoicing and a commitment to avoiding conflicts of interest.
- Continuous Improvement: I am dedicated to regularly reviewing my ESG practices, seeking ongoing feedback, anchoring the lessons identified and learned in my policies, and implementing improvements to further my commitment to a sustainable and ethical future.
My dedication to these ESG principles ensures that Erica Honey Consulting delivers exceptional value to its clients and contributes positively to a more sustainable, equitable, and respectful world.
References:
Australian Institute of Company Directors. (2017). Guiding Principles of Good Governance. https://www.aicd.com.au/content/dam/aicd/pdf/courses-programs/company-directors-course/guiding-principles-of-good-corporate-governance.pdf
Close the Gap. (2025). Closing the Gap. https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/
Reconciliation Australia. (2025). Reconciliation Action Plans. https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation-action-plans/
United Nations. (2024). Sustainable Development Goals. https://sdgs.un.org/goals