- Green Book Alliance
Last month, the Green Book Alliance, led by BIC, BookNet Canada, and BISG, launched its first survey, built to gather information about some aspects of the current state of sustainability in the global book trade. The survey remains open, but we’ve received enough responses to provide a sneak peek:
88% of those responding indicated they either have (60%) or are planning to adopt (28%) an environmental policy. Almost half (46%) have a department or person responsible for their environmental efforts.
The top three commitments made to date include reducing waste, recycling materials, and lowering energy consumption.
Efforts to reduce companies’ carbon footprint are led by greater use of on-demand printing, shorter print runs, and avoiding overprinting.
A quarter of respondents purchase at least some carbon offsets, and another 30% have plans to do so.
More than 80% of those responding expressed interest in being part of industry forums or discussions hosted by the Green Book Alliance.
We’re just getting started, but those responding put high value on the Green Book Alliance providing research results, case studies of sustainability initiatives, and a resource directory. A compilation of environmental events fell a bit behind that group.
Among research projects, early favorites included documenting the industry’s carbon footprint and understanding the environmental impact of current practices. Other topics of interest are partnering with other industries, developing metrics to inform certification, and highlighting efforts within the industry.
The survey remains open through January 29, with a full report planned for late February. The survey remains somewhat weighted toward responses from publishers, and we’re still looking for greater participation from manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and libraries. Take the survey!
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