Publishing industry makes sustainability pledge

Valentin GilbertNews

Publishing Declares, a sustainability pledge with 39 founding signatories from across the industry, has been launched
today by the Publishers Association.
The purpose of Publishing Declares is to raise awareness of the sustainability issues most relevant to the UK book and
journal publishing industry; to aid the discovery of existing tools and resources and to inspire action that results in
sustained behaviour change.
The signatories pledge to:

  1. Join the global climate effort to limit warming to 1.5°C by setting ambitious, measurable targets across our own
    operations and extended supply chain to achieve net zero as soon as possible and by 2050 at the latest.
  2. Protect nature and biodiversity, working with supply chain partners that are resource efficient, use sustainable materials
    and processes wherever possible in the content we produce, and constantly innovating to make use of new and recycled
    materials.
  3. Collaborate with our peers, authors, illustrators, supply chain partners, and business partners to translate our climate
    aspirations and commitments into tangible actions to safeguard our planet for future generations.
  4. Empower our colleagues to become climate literate and support them to bring that knowledge into the work that they
    do.
  5. Use our expertise, platform, and voice to raise awareness and drive positive climate action wherever we can.

The pledge is the first project in an ongoing scheme of work which will also include a report, carbon calculator and a
materials index. The Publishers Association established a working group in February 2020 representing a cross-section
of the book and journal publishing industry to develop this work, convening this cohort of 30 publishing businesses
regularly to understand their collective material risks and greatest potential for positive action. Carnstone Partners – a
business consultancy specialising in sustainability – were commissioned to work with the association and its members to
develop the pledge.
Stephen Lotinga, Chief Executive of the Publishers Association, said:

“We are thrilled to be launching Publishing Declares and it is heartening that so many businesses have signed up as
founding members. We encourage organisations from across the industry to add their signatures to the pledge and join
with us to work towards a more sustainable future.
“Sustainability is a hugely important area of work and although there are many publishing companies working on
excellent initiatives, there is real power in us coming together as an industry to make this pledge.”

Organisations can sign up to the pledge at publishingdeclares.com.

Notes to editors

  1. Over the coming year the Publishers Association will deliver:
    • a report to help the wider publishing sector understand where risk is in the supply chain and what interventions
    are most effective.
    • a carbon calculator to help publishers understand the source of their greenhouse gas emissions and how they
    can reduce their overall impact by calculating their emissions using emissions factors that are specific to the
    publishing industry.
    • a materials index to help publishers understand the environmental impacts of their products through the
    materials used in them and to thus reduce those impacts.
  2. Publishing Declares founding signatories

Publishing

And Other StoriesStefan Tobler, Publisher
Bloomsbury PublishingKathleen Farrar, Group Sales and Marketing Director
Bonnier Books UKPerminder Mann, Chief Executive Officer
Bristol University PressAndy Williams, Operations Director
Cambridge University Press & AssessmentCatie Sheret, General Counsel
Canongate BooksJamie Byng, Chief Executive Officer
DKDK Shaun Hodgkinson, Chief Operating Officer
ElsevierAnne Kitson, Senior Vice President and MD of The Lancet
and Cell Press
FaberFaber Mary Cannam, Managing Director
Fine Feather PressAndrea Pinnington, Co-Founder
Firefly PressPenny Thomas, Publisher
Hachette UKDavid Shelley, Chief Executive Officer
HarperCollins UKCharlie Redmayne, Chief Executive Officer
Kogan PageHelen Kogan, Managing Director
Liverpool University PressAnthony Cond, Chief Executive
Michael O’Mara BooksLesley O’Mara, Managing Director
Nosy CrowAdrian Soar, Commercial Director
Old Barn BooksRuth Huddleston, Publisher
OneworldJuliet Mabey, Publisher
Oxford University PressTim Fulton, Chief Transformation Officer
Pan MacmillanJames Long, Publishing Operations Director
PearsonSharon Hague, Managing Director Pearson School
Qualifications
Penguin Random House UKTom Weldon, Chief Executive Officer
Princeton University PressCaroline Priday, Head of Office Europe
Profile BooksAndrew Franklin, Managing Director
Publishers AssociationStephen Lotinga, Chief Executive Officer
SAGE PublishingMark Walford, Vice President
ScholasticScholastic Catherine Bell Co UK Group Managing Director
Simon & Schuster UKIan Chapman, Chief Executive Officer
Springer NatureJoyce Lorigan, Group Head of Corporate Affairs
Taylor & FrancisAnnie Callanan, Chief Executive Officer
Thames & HudsonNeil Palfreyman, Chairman
WF HowesWF Howes

Production & Supply

Book Industry Communication (BIC)Karina Urquhart, Executive Director
ClaysEdoardo Cuomo, Deputy CEO
CPI Group (UK)Tanya Dunbar, Divisional Managing Director, Trade Books
Woodland GroupNini Mikolajski, Sustainability Lead

Bookselling

The Booksellers AssociationMeryl Halls, Managing Director

Writing & Illustration

Society of AuthorsNicola Solomon, Chief Executive OfficeR
  1. The Publishers Association
    We are the member organisation for UK publishing, representing companies of all sizes and specialisms. Our members produce digital and print books, research journals and educational resources across genres and subjects. www.publishers.org.uk | @PublishersAssoc
  2. Carnstone
    Carnstone is a specialised management consultancy working globally at the intersection of sustainability and business
    strategy. Rooted in sound technical and commercial understanding, we provide advice and support to large companies, international organisations and NGOs from offices in London and Shanghai.
    We believe collaboration is one of the most effective ways to tackle complex sustainability issues, and a significant part of our work consists of bringing companies together to drive progress across sectors and supply chains.
    www.carnstone.com