Who We Are
The Australian Veterinary Environmental Alliance (AVEA) is an alliance of veterinarians, scientists, industry leaders, animal health professionals and more committed to ensuring environmentally responsible practices in the veterinary and related industries. AVEA is an initiative of Veterinarians for Climate Action Ltd. Meet our core team below.
Patron, AVEA and WVEA
Prof Peter Doherty
Nobel Laureate & Veterinarian
Peter Doherty shared the 1996 Nobel Medicine Prize for his discoveries about transplantation and “killer” T cell-mediated immunity, an understanding that is currently translating into new cancer treatments. The first veterinarian to win a Nobel, he was also Australian of the Year in 1997. Peter remains active in research and also maintains a public profile. In his media appearances and writings, Peter mixes his outspoken views on the need for urgent climate action with his fantastically dry sense of humour. You can watch him discuss AVEA on our Youtube here and here.
Board of Directors
Dr Catherine Harper,
Board Chair
Veterinarian and owner, Barossa Veterinary Service.
Wayne Wescott, Director
CEO, Greenfleet. Climate action leader specialising in reforestation and nature-based carbon solutions.
Dr Helen Scott-Orr, Director
Former Australian Inspector-General of Biosecurity, Former Chief Vet Officer NSW, VfCA (AVEA) Board Director
Dr Jeannet Kessels, Founder & Director
Founder of Vets for Climate Action, AVEA and WVEA. Founder, Greater Springfield Veterinary Group.
Ben Tyler, Indigenous Advisor
Bininj entrepreneur, author and founder of Kakadu Kitchen.
Advisory Group Chairs
Dr Jeremy Watson, Climate Care Program
Founder Brimbank Veterinary Clinic, Australia’s first carbon-neutral veterinary clinic
Dr Catherine Chicken,
Sustainable Equine Futures
BVSc (Hons), PhD, MANZCVS, DipVCS. Consultant Veterinarian, Scone Equine Hospital; Sustainable Equine Futures.
Wayne Wescott, Business Advisory Group
CEO, Greenfleet. Climate action leader specialising in reforestation and nature-based carbon solutions.
Dr Jeannet Kessels, World Veterinary Environmental Alliance
Founder of Vets for Climate Action, AVEA and WVEA. Founder, Greater Springfield Veterinary Group.
