Highlights from the GBA Convening at Frankfurt Book Fair 2025

This year at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the Green Book Alliance gathered supply-chain partners from around the world for our second workshop focused on carbon accounting. The energy in the room made one thing clear: despite ongoing pressures across the industry, there is a strong, growing commitment to building the tools and shared knowledge needed to make meaningful progress on sustainability.

Participants exchanged insights, compared experiences, and discussed what they need next to advance carbon measurement. The conversations reflected an industry that is increasingly aligned on both the importance of carbon data and the opportunity to work together on practical solutions.

What We Heard

1. Sustainability Must Become a Strategic Priority

While day-to-day pressures are real, attendees emphasized that sustainability needs to be embedded in organizational planning. Many expressed a desire to integrate carbon considerations into routine decision-making not as an added burden, but as a pathway to efficiency.

2. Industry Wants Clear, Consistent Data

Across groups, there was enthusiasm for tools that create a common language around carbon footprints. Even with the variety of tools already in use, there was agreement that harmonization is both needed and achievable.

3. Benchmarking Will Unlock Action

Several groups pointed to benchmarking as a turning point: comparing year-over-year performance, aligning with peers, or tracking improvements from operational changes. Attendees were eager for tools that don’t just calculate carbon but help them understand it, contextualize it, and act on it.

4. Legislation and Market Signals Are Moving the Industry Forward

From EUDR to emerging product-passport concepts, regulatory changes continue to encourage investment in better data management. Participants noted that environmental information is being asked for increasingly and being prepared now positions organizations to respond smoothly and even use sustainability as a competitive advantage.

5. A Sense of Optimism About Collaboration

Despite different geographic contexts and organizational priorities, the workshop revealed strong alignment: carbon data is valuable, progress is accelerating, and collaboration is essential. Many attendees noted how much the industry’s sustainability maturity has grown in just a few years.

BISG Executive Director, Brian O'Leary talks to the group of participants at the GBA convening at Haus Au Dom, Frankfurt.

How the Discussion Supports the GBA Carbon Calculator

The themes from Frankfurt directly validate GBA’s Carbon Calculator Project, which aims to make available a free web-based tool designed to calculate the carbon footprint of a single book and make carbon measurement accessible for organizations of all sizes.

What the industry asked for

• Clear, consistent calculation methods

• Transparent and comparable results

• Easy-to-use tools for small teams

• Support and training

• A pathway toward benchmarking and future improvements

• Data that informs real decisions about paper, printing, and sourcing

What the GBA Carbon Calculator offers

GBA is transforming a trusted Canadian Excel-based model into a user-friendly global tool that provides:

• Consistent, transparent carbon footprint calculations

• Alignment with GHG Protocol principles

• Real-time book-level estimates to guide production choices

• Access for publishers, printers, and partners at no cost

• Training, onboarding, and implementation support

• A foundation for future expansions, including more print processes and organizational-level reporting

This tool directly addresses the needs raised in every breakout group: helping the industry move from intention to action.

Learn More About the Carbon Calculator

For questions or to get involved, reach out at info@greenbookalliance.org.

Terrier Books Brings Sustainability to the Shelves

At the Green Book Alliance, we believe that small, intentional actions can drive big change. When we received a message from Gladys Vallée, founder of Terrier Books, we knew her story was one we wanted to share.

Terrier Books is a new independent bookstore that opened its doors in December 2024 in Sooke, BC, on the unceded traditional territory of the T’Sou-ke First Nation. With a focus on environmental impact, circularity, and transparency, Terrier Books was built from the ground up with sustainability as a core principle.

Gladys describes the business simply:

“Terrier Books is an independent bookstore which sells books with an eco-conscious mindset. We carry books for all ages, and our goal is to provide people with affordable books that have a positive impact on the planet.”

Rethinking What a Bookstore Can Be

Terrier’s model is a practical take on sustainability.

They stock:

• Brand-new secondhand books

• Remaindered books (unsold publisher overstock with slight markings)

• A selection of new books printed in North America

  
  

All Terrier's products come from Canada. Gladys says they are careful in their distributor selection and get products based on their geographic location. They also inquire about the transportation and the environmental policies of the companies they work with.

Packaging and materials:

• Shipping boxes are made in North America and are Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified by the Rainforest Alliance.

• Packaging is minimal and only used where necessary, and can be reused or recycled.

• Paper tape is used to ship orders.

• Paper bags offered in store are made in North America using 100% recycled paper.

• Their bookmarks are printed in British Columbia, on 100% recycled paper.

• In-store Gift Cards are made of seed paper, and can be planted after use.

• Gift wrapping is made from kraft paper previously used as paper fillings from book deliveries.

Shipping and returns:

• They use Shopify Planet to make shipping carbon-neutral by funding innovative companies that pull carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere and store it. Right now, the money they give with each shipment goes to fund a mix of nature-based carbon removal and innovative solutions, such as direct air capture and mineralization & funds companies (more information here).

• Located in British Columbia, they ship orders only to Canada and the USA, to keep the shipping emissions as low as possible.

“We’re constantly learning and improving. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about staying committed and transparent,” Gladys says.

Changing the Way the Industry Works—One Practice at a Time

One of the most impactful choices Terrier Books has made is not returning unsold new books to publishers.

“If bookstores could order smaller quantities of a title, they could avoid having to return these unsold titles,” Gladys explains. “Returns are incredibly wasteful, not just for the planet, but for publishers and authors too.”

The Power of Conversation (and Education)

While the sustainability work behind Terrier Books might be invisible at first glance, customers are catching on.

"So far, I have had a lot of positive feedback from my initiative. But in my opinion, we don't have much of a choice. It needs to change. Other industries are already doing a lot more regarding sustainability and I feel like the book industry needs to catch up, especially in North America. We need to be more conscious about the impact that the book industry has on our planet and our environment."

That said, she noted that most customers aren't even aware of how the book industry works, or how and where books are made. She believes this stems from a general lack of transparency within the industry, where little information is shared with the public, or even with booksellers themselves. “I often have to ask a lot of questions to publishers, distributors, and companies just to understand how things are made and distributed,” she said, “and sometimes, I don’t get an answer at all.”

That’s part of what drives her: building a store that doesn’t just sell books, but helps educate readers about how the book industry impacts the environment.

“I’m definitely not an expert—I’m learning every day. But I always try to share what I know.”

Final Thoughts

Terrier's story is a reminder that sustainability in the book world starts with a few smart choices and the belief that this industry can do better.

We’re thrilled to spotlight Terrier Books as an example of real, grassroots leadership in the move toward a more sustainable publishing ecosystem.

Learn more about Terrier Books at terrierbooks.com

Want to share your sustainability story with the GBA community? We’re always looking to highlight projects from across the supply chain. Reach out to us anytime!

Webinar Recap: Sustaining Sustainability

In a world of constant change—shifting political winds, evolving industry priorities, and emerging global challenges—how do we ensure that sustainability remains more than a buzzword?

In this webinar, we explore how to anchor sustainability initiatives in lasting values, even as external pressures shift. Together with two insightful panellists, GBA will unpack what it takes to create resilient strategies that withstand short-term distractions and long-term industry changes.

What to Expect:

• Insights on navigating political and economic headwinds

• Real-world examples of sustainable initiatives that endure

• Strategies for embedding sustainability into the core of organizational culture and practice

• Interactive Q&A with our panel of sustainability leaders

  
  

Let’s talk about how we build sustainability that lasts.

Panellists:

Kay Rollans (Brush Education)

Brad Farmer (Gibbs Smith)

Moderated by Jarin Pintana (GBA) with input from Brian O'Leary (BISG, GBA), Karina Urquhart (BIC, GBA), & Lauren Stewart (BookNet, GBA).

Click Here to Watch the Webinar